The Team of Five
by Hand.O.Doom
Summary: Team Seven gets a new recruit. Can a former thief be trusted? What's he hiding? Where's my wallet? Hey! Reviews are always appreciated.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters or any of the licensed materials they might be related too except the ones I make up of course.

Certainly More than a Raccoon

Naruto was fidgeting again.

"Naruto, you've trained half your life to utilize stealth, do you think you could please act like it?" scolded his teammate.

"Bite me pretty boy", was the blonde's reply.

"What did you say you little troll?!" Sakura demanded.

"This could be going better", sighed their teacher inwardly. How was it that the first team to ever pass his test was also one of the most ill matched? He was surprised that they hadn't managed to come to blows yet. Then again, Naruto still had a knot on his head from a smack Sakura had given him earlier. The kids at least had the sense to whisper when on a stakeout. Unfortunately, their argument was rapidly working against their better judgment as their voices were beginning to rise.

"You're not the sensei Sasuke", Naruto declared in a whisper rising dangerously in volume.

"Maybe not, but I am, so will the three of you kindly zip it?" Kakashi finally intervened, "We are supposed to be on a mission here, and I'm sure you can stop fidgeting if Sasuke can stop nodding off." Both of the boys stiffened as their mistakes were pointed out and found very interesting things in the distance to stare at.

Kakashi smiled at his own brilliance, though the mask and the night hid that fact. In one sentence, he'd managed to shut both of the twerps up. Aside from giving him some peace, he'd kept the rivalry between the two on the level. The two both had potential, and Kakashi had picked up on using their rivalry as motivation in just a few days. The Jonin knew he would have to be careful though. These rivalries tended to get nasty when allowed to go too far. Now if he could just find a way to quiet the Haruno girl, he might be able to get a little shut-eye.

The mission had started on such a positive note too. The team had just been put together, so they had nothing but pointless D-rank missions so far. Though Naruto was the only one to voice it, they had all begun to wonder what pulling weeds and catching cats had to do with being a ninja, even if the cat had taught Naruto how to properly defend his face the last few times they had gone after it. Therefore, when they had been given the task of capturing a thief, stars had flashed in the Genins' eyes. Catching a cat burglar certainly did have a heroic feel to it. It was a bit of a letdown then when they found out that they were actually trying to catch whoever had been raiding their employer's pantries.

A noble family by the name of Nobend had apparently been finding foodstuffs missing from their inventories. After questioning their kitchen staff with no results, the head of the family had decided to hire top ninja to catch the intruder. The man then saw the price of top ninja and quickly opted to hire the next tier below top ninja. Once he saw the price of those individuals, he repeated the first steps until he ended up with a D-rank mission for Genin.

After the first two nights of watching the estate with no results, Naruto had decided that the Nobends simply had a raccoon problem. By the third night, Kakashi was tempted to agree with him. The stakeout was really starting to cut into his sleep, and he had started to make it up by napping whenever his students weren't looking. It was now the fourth night and Kakashi was settling himself in for some much needed slumber. It figured then that it would be this night that things finally got interesting.

"Sensei, I think I see someone", whispered Sakura.

Naruto and Sasuke's heads perked up, and Kakashi cracked his eye open to see why the girl had interrupted a rather nice dream involving Anko, Kurenai, and mud (What? Don't judge Kakashi. It's been a long week.). All three followed the girl's outstretched finger to the shadows it was pointed at.

"I don't see anything", mumbled Naruto.

"I know what I saw twerp", she insisted.

Kakashi saw him. Whoever he was, he knew how to use shadows, and the Jonin was impressed with Sakura for spotting him. He'd wait until his other students found him though. They needed the practice.

"Wait, I think he's on the roof", Sasuke said.

"Yeah, he's by the chimney right?" agreed Naruto.

"Good eyes Sakura. Lets move, but keep your distance, we want to catch him in the act" Kakashi ordered.

The four of them leapt from the trees across from the Nobend compound and followed the figure across the rooftops, keeping low. The Genin lost him once or twice, but Kakashi kept them on track. The Jonin noticed that the thief certainly seemed to know his way around. How long had he been robbing this place? He certainly had skills beyond the average cutpurse, but anyone with brains wouldn't keep coming back to the same location.

The lone thief stopped, apparently reaching his destination.

"The kitchens?" thought Kakashi, "That's right, pass up the family jewels for the family beef jerky. This guy has a one track mind, and it's in his gut."

The figure stooped down and opened a skylight, dropping silently out of sight.

"Alright, lets catch this loser", Naruto breathed, already drawing a kunai.

"Cool it Naruto, wait till he comes out, we don't want to damage our employer's home do we?" corrected Kakashi.

The boy folded his arms in frustration but didn't need to be told twice. He and the other Genin got into position, and the four of them waited… and waited…aaaaaaand waited.

"What's taking this jerk so long?" thought Naruto, "Did he break in so he could bake a cake?"

At the last thought the figure appeared again, or rather three figures appeared. The trio burst from the skylight and bolted in opposite directions.

"Crap, they knew we were waiting! Get em'", called Naruto and took off after one of them.

"Wait, where did the other two come from?" asked Sakura.

"No time to find out, go or we lose them," replied Sasuke as he ran off.

Sakura shrugged and began her own pursuit over the rooftops.

"As expected, the three of them jumped the gun," sighed Kakashi to himself. What the three had failed to notice was that the figures they were pursuing weren't carrying any loot. As the Jonin had expected after such a long wait, the thief had caught on that he was being followed.

"Kage-bunshin," muttered Kakashi, "so this guy has some jutsus does he? Should be fun." Kakashi scanned the area, waiting for the real thief to make his escape. He could call his team back, but he wasn't sure they were ready for combat with other ninja yet. Besides, this guy had cost him far too much sleep to not pay Kakashi back with a little entertainment.

A door opened in the back of the building, and the Jonin watched as someone backed out the doorway with two bulging sacks of food in his arms.

"Getting greedy are we?"

The question belonged to Kakashi who now stood behind the would-be thief, his arms crossed and a scolding tone in his voice.

The boy, and that was what he was Kakashi realized, stiffened and turned around slowly.

The Jonin finally got a good look at the "master" burglar. His clothes clearly didn't fit, as his pant legs were rolled up, and his shirt and jacket hung loosely from his wiry frame. Had their original colors been visible, the clothes most likely wouldn't have matched either, but they had a common dark hue of dirt and overuse. Any exposed skin was wrapped in rags, showing only a pair of emerald eyes, which were currently wide and staring right at Kakashi. The boy simply stood there, unmoving.

"Geeze. Did I scare this kid stiff?" wondered the man.

He realized he hadn't when the boy said calmly, "Oh…There were four of you."

"Yes, there were," Kakashi replied.

"Hmm, could have sworn there were three," the boy continued as if arguing a point. His voice was somewhat dry and rasped a little, but still had the high pitch of youth.

"Nope, there were four," Kakashi corrected.

"Huh… Well… This changes things."

"I'd wager it does, would you care to come quietly?"

"Not particularly, would you care to let me go?"

"Not particularly," Answered Kakashi as he slowly began to wonder how he had gotten into this conversation.

The thief's shoulders slouched in defeat, and he grumbled, "Fine, I won't put up a fight. Just hold these for me for a second, will ya?" With that, both bags of food flew at Kakashi and the boy was off and running while the Jonin dodged the foodstuffs.

"About time this guy bolted," thought Kakashi as he started after him, "I was worried he might actually give up, and where's the fun in that?" His jovial nature was put to the test, however, when the explosive tag stuck to the back of one of the bags went off, spraying the man with the pulverized remains of a sizable portion of the Nobend family pantries. Whipping mustard off of his face and gathering his wits, Kakashi cursed and dashed after his target.

"Clever boy," the now much less entertained ninja admitted to himself.

Clever and fast might have been more accurate, as the boy was already almost out of sight. Kakashi knew he couldn't risk losing him and stepped up the pace, hopping the walls of the compound just behind the kid.

All of these events were of coarse unknown to a young ANBU recruit drawn by the explosion. So he was certainly surprised when a terrified blond-headed child rounded the corner calling him for help, spouting something about a madman with explosives that was after him. The ANBU immediately drew his blade and pushed the child behind him for protection, not noticing the smirk that was pulling across the child's face or the sound of the child continuing to run. Kakashi was even more surprised when he rounded a corner and had to duck the katana of a gullible rookie. Cursing the young man and pushing him aside, he continued his pursuit, leaving a very confused ANBU wondering what had just happened.

"Great," complained the Jonin to himself, "Not only is this guy fast, but he's a smart #$ too".

A few blocks away, the child chuckled and congratulated himself as he ducked into an alley. He'd lost the food, but he had also lost his one eyed pursuer. He plopped down behind a dumpster to catch his breath and wait for things to die down.

He smiled to himself and muttered between breaths, "That guy wasn't half bad. Thought he had me there for a little while."

"I thought I did too, but you certainly are a fast one," came a voice from above.

The boy might have looked up, but he was too busy being tackled by Kakashi and roughly tied up.

The child was now staring at Kakashi in disbelief while swinging upside down from a street lamp.

"Now, would you like to explain yourself?" Kakashi asked as he pulled the mask from the boy's face. Kakashi had know he wasn't an adult, but he wouldn't have thought he was this young. He couldn't be older than one of his students.

The boy's slowly reddening face glared at him.

"I was hungry and all the stores were closed," the child spat.

"Cute," Kakashi sneered, though he was starting to get a kick out of the kid's attitude. He might have put Kakashi through hell in the past few minutes, but he had certainly done it with style. At these thoughts, he wondered if the explosive tag had given him a concussion.

"Kakashi sensei!" called a voice and the Jonin turned to see that his students had

finally caught up.

It hadn't been hard to find him. The clones had vanished shortly before the explosion and the three had been quite surprised until an explosion had gone off shortly afterwards. They had rushed back to the scene to find an awful mess of splattered foods and a trail of footprints in what looked like mustard leading down the street. They followed the trail past sleepy eyed Nobends who had been awakened by the explosion to a dazed looking ANBU who had simply pointed down the street and muttered darkly about the end of his career.

"Sorry sensei, I didn't realize it was a clone until the little twerp flipped me off and disappeared," Sakura apologized as she approached.

"Yeah, mine too," admitted Sasuke.

"Yours flipped you off? Mine punched me in the face before he poofed," complained Naruto while nursing a growing bruise on his cheek.

"Oh, sorry, number three is always a jerk. I can never figure that out," explained a strange child as he hung upside down from a lamp as if he did it every day.

"Quiet you," interrupted Kakashi giving the boy a rather unpleasant spin.

"Ummm, who is this guy Sensei, and why do you smell like a hotdog?" asked Naruto.

"This is our raccoon Naruto, and it's time we took him to the authorities." With that, Kakashi cut the rope to the lamp and threw the bound and uncooperative child over his shoulder, leaving the three very confused Genin to wonder what had just happened before hurriedly following after their teacher.


	2. Esu's Long Night

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters or any of the licensed materials the might be related to except the ones I make up of coarse.

Esu's Long Night

"Ummmm… I don't get it Sensei, why are we here?"

"I told you Naruto, the mission isn't over yet. We needed to take our guest to the proper authorities," answered a by now very tired Kakashi.

"I know that Sensei," growled the boy, exhaustion breaking into his voice as well, "But why _here_?"

"Here" was a rundown office in the basement of the Hokage's tower. None of those present were pleased to be there as each would much rather have been in bed. Even the room seemed displeased with the situation. Where there wasn't cracked and peeling paint, concrete was left bare. Harsh, florescent light shown and periodically flickered from two aged and humming tubes fixed to the ceiling. On an old foldout table in the corner, an ancient percolator gurgled and spat its dissatisfaction at being awakened at such an hour. An assortment of creaking and rusted metal chairs was set up against the back wall. Even the stuffy and stale air added to the already uncomfortable nature of the room, but then again, interrogation rooms weren't meant to be pleasant.

"I mean, the guy stole some food, why not just toss him in a cell? What's the point of going to all this for some two-bit thief? He didn't even steal anything expensive", continued the blond.

"Because Naruto", explained Kakashi, "It's not what he stole, its how he stole it. Get it?"

Naruto's blank stare told Kakashi that he didn't.

Kakashi sighed and motioned to Sasuke and Sakura.

"Can either of you explain it?" offered the teacher.

"I'll handle it sensei", piped up Sakura, "Naruto, you are right that a normal thief would just go straight to a cell, but this one has shown that he has many skills seen almost exclusively in ninja. Do you follow so far?"

The boy nodded, but his stare remained the same.

Sighing, Sakura continued, "Because of this, there is a possible chance that he could be a spy. One doesn't pick up training like ours just anywhere. He had to be taught at some point. We need to be sure that he is just a thief and not something more complicated."

"Ok, I get that, but what skills are you talking about? So he can do a clone jutsu, it can't be too hard to pick up", countered Naruto.

"Yeah. After all, the dobe learned it", commented Sasuke from the corner.

Kakashi interrupted the two before the blonde retaliated.

"That's all any of you saw, but when I was in pursuit, he clearly demonstrated that he had been trained. He showed ninjutsu with the clones and genjutsu when he disguised himself to fool the ANBU. Also, if his speed and agility are anything to go on, then he's been conditioned for taijutsu as well, not to mention he had the senses to detect three trained ninja when we were following him. Add to that the equipment he used, namely that explosive tag, and what we found on him, and it's clear he's no run of the mill thief. Besides, we'd be crazy not to be curious about the stuff that kid was carrying."

The "stuff" they had found in the child's coat, one seemingly made entirely of pockets, had included a few rusty shuriken, a weathered kunai or two, some rather poorly aged foodstuffs, and more than a few explosives. Needless to say, it wasn't the questionable looking sandwiches that had caught his captor's eye. The explosives weren't enough to level a building, but they were still dangerous enough in the right or wrong person's hands.

"Do you understand now?" asked Kakashi.

Naruto nodded and took the hint in his teacher's tone and gave him some peace.

Kakashi sat for a minute before turning his head to the man next to him.

The man, who had arrived shortly after the four of them brought in their captive, gave no acknowledgement of the Jouniin's attention and continued to stare through the two-way mirror into the adjacent room where the boy in question sat chained to a heavy metal desk by his wrists and ankles.

The stranger hadn't said a thing after his arrival, simply asking where the "subject" was and then taking up position at the window. Even Naruto had picked up the unspoken order to not ask about him. That had been a little over an hour ago.

"Well?" prodded Kakashi, "anything yet Ibiki?"

One of the scars criss-crossing the man's face twitched at his name.

"Not yet", the man spoke up, "but I doubt he's a spy. He's not acting like a spy. They usually have the sense to try to make something up, but my adjutant hasn't gotten this kid to say word one."

Ibiki was right. The boy hadn't said a word since his capture. The officer sitting across from him had asked him questions again and again, but they had only been met with a stubborn glare. This hadn't sat well with the officer whose patience was beginning to wear thin.

"Then why haven't you talked to him?" suggested Kakashi.

"Mostly entertainment really. I haven't seen my adjutant this flustered in a while. It's really quite the show", answered Ibiki with a rather disturbing smile.

Unfortunately, for the assistant, this was also true. The rookie had taken the boy's mute act rather personally and was growing redder in the face with each passing moment of silence. The adjutant had tried numerous strategies from offering to help the child to offering to show him his lungs should he continue to not talk. He'd even tried bribing the child with food. Though, without his jacket on, the thief was clearly underfed, the child hadn't so much as sniffed at the plate in front of him. Tensions in the room only grew worse when the food, supposedly out of reach of the boy, had disappeared when the adjutant had turned his back at the wrong time. Though maddening for the officer, the events, only growing more ridiculous over time, had indeed provided enough of a show to keep the occupants of the side room awake.

"Actually Kakashi, I was thinking about taking a different approach."

The Jouniin gave his fellow a questioning look, but before he could ask what Ibiki was getting at the door to the room opened and a new figure stepped in. All present immediately saluted. All except Naruto who simply looked up and grinned at the old man from his place splayed out over two of the folding chairs.

"Honorable Hokage," greeted Kakashi, "It's good to see you."

Eyes bearing the red cracks of sleep, the man answered, "I wish I could say the same Kakashi, but considering the hour, I can honestly say I would much rather be asleep."

The Jouniin grinned behind his mask. He'd always enjoyed the Hokage's distaste for unnecessary formalities.

"Now," the man continued, "Would you kindly explain why I'm here and who that child is?"

Kakashi gave a quick run-down of the night's events from the beginning of the chase to the Hokage's arrival. The Sandaime simply nodded as he listened and waited for the man to finish.

When he did, the Hokage stared off for a minute in thought. He ground his unlit pipe between his teeth. The Sandaime hoped to get back to bed soon, so he hadn't lit it, but it still helped relax him to have it out. He nodded at an inward decision before turning to the Genin present, "Would you three please excuse us? I need to discuss some delicate matters."

"Yes you three, consider yourselves relieved, go home and get some rest," added Kakashi.

Sakura and Sasuke exchanged confused looks. Naruto might have done the same had he not already been out the door and calling out a farewell to the Hokage. The two sighed and went home for some much needed rest.

When the door had closed behind them, the Sandaime turned to the other Jouniin present, "What's your read on the child Ibiki?"

"He's no spy if that's what ANBU is worried about," offered scarred man, "A real spy wouldn't have been so easily captured. He's also not giving a story or some kind of act. His actions are a juvenile one can't produce with an act."

Sarutobi chuckled, "Glad to see we agree. You don't take care of a kid like Konohamaru and not be able to recognize a child clamming up when caught doing something they shouldn't."

"I'm still curious about his abilities though, and don't forget the explosives," countered Kakashi.

"True," answered Ibiki, "But the equipment he had was terrible. The explosives were crude and homemade at best; just concussion blasts and smoke pellets when you look closer. The kid had to be smart to make them, but they qualify as escape techniques for a would-be burglar more than anything. I wouldn't say he's a spy as much as a talented thief. Not everyone with our skills has our job after all, and basic training isn't as rare as we like to think."

"I'm beginning to agree," the Jouniin nodded, "Which leaves me wondering if the Hokage is beginning to have the same idea about the child as I am.

Sarutobi grinned at the insinuation, "Yeah, that it'd be a waste of talent to throw him in jail."

Ibiki smirked, finally reaching the same wavelength as his fellows, "You know, some villages would have just chopped off the kid's hand and sent him on his way. We're actually going to recruit him."

"You object to the idea," the Sandaime joked.

"No, but I doubt he's going to accept the offer."

"And why is that?" asked Kakashi.

Ibiki took a deep breath before explaining, "The child clearly has issues trusting us."

"Well, we did arrest him," interrupted Kakashi.

"That's not what I'm talking about," growled the interrogator, "If you had been watching more closely, you would have seen that the child became more defensive when Esu in there offered to help him. He didn't buy it for a minute."

"To be honest, I wouldn't have believed him either," interjected the masked Jouniin again.

"I've seen some of his training, he's a terrible actor," agreed the Hokage.

"You two done?" asked the scar-faced man.

"Quite"

"Continue"

"Thank you," grumbled Ibiki, "As I was saying, the child didn't believe him, but he did it by reflex. My guess is the kid's been living like this for a while. Children that grow up like that are usually fiercely independent and don't really trust anyone, especially not adults. If we offered, he would most likely assume we have another motive and turn us down."

The two listening exchanged looks and thought for a moment.

"Well, you're the specialist Ibiki. Do you have any ideas?" offered Kakashi.

"We need to get some kind of trust and I doubt an adult has much chance of that," answered the interrogator.

It was at this point that an aide entered the room and whispered something to the Hokage.

The old man sighed and turned to the other two, "It appears I have to go explain to the head of the Nobend family just why I haven'tcut the boy's hand off yet. I trust the two of you can handle things from here?"

The two Jouniin nodded and the Sandaime turned to leave. He breathed a rather uncouth oath about nobles and pulled his tobacco pouch from his pocket. What the heck? He wasn't going to be getting sleep anytime soon anyway.

Esu had taken to glaring right back at the boy. Had he not been told to hold back, he might have been tempted to throttle the child by now. A knock got his attention and the officer got up to answer the door. He found a silver-haired Jouniin on the other side.

"I'm here to take the prisoner to a cell for holding", the man explained.

"Finally, I thought I'd never get away from this joker", the child said, calmly stepping past Esu and stopping next to Kakashi in the hall, "Do I get my jacket back now?"

To say the least, Esu was more than a little surprised. Not only had the child spoken, but the adjutant turned quickly to see the chains that were supposed to be holding the boy folded neatly on the table.

Ignoring the steaming officer, the child asked if they could go and turned to leave. Feeling Kakashi's hand on his shoulder, the thief looked up.

"You might want to return the man's wallet first," corrected Kakashi.

"Fine," sighed the boy fishing the wallet out of his pocket and tossing it to Esu, who was now mumbling incoherent curses.

"And mine," the Jouniin added.

"Good eyes," the boy smirked as he returned Kakashi's money.

Kakashi half-heartedly wondered what he was getting himself into as he took the child away, keeping the thief in front of him. Counting the bills in his wallet and coming up short, he also wondered if he could keep anyone from killing the boy long enough to find out.

Alright, chapter 2 is up. With midterms, I don't know how often I will update, but I hope to make it a once every two weeks affair. Still haven't given the thief a name. Haven't fully decided. Suggest some if you like the character enough. Also, So.just.smile, thanks very much for my first review. Let me know what you think of this one yall.


	3. A Strange Lunch

**A Strange Lunch**

Two hundred and thirty-six, two hundred and thirty-seven, two hundred and thirty-eight. There were two hundred and thirty-eight cracks in the ceiling. The boy wondered if he should inform the guard of this fact. He doubted he would care. He certainly didn't value the fact that there were one hundred and thirteen cracks in the floor, or ninety-eight bolts in his cell door, or that he had sixty-five hairs left on his head, give or take a few of coarse. Well, he might have cared about the last number judging by the rather desperate comb-over, but did he really have to get so mad?

He knew what he was doing. He was passing time. This wasn't the boy's first stay in a jail cell, a fact he doubted most would be surprised to hear, so the thief knew that he would have to find ways of passing the time. If he didn't, the boy would most likely get impatient and try to escape too soon, making the attempt more difficult.

It wasn't going to be an easy escape as it was. The people who had put him here hadn't given him his coat back, so he wasn't going to have access to the variety of lock picks sewn into the seems of the jacket. He still had a few hidden in the wrappings around his feet, but those weren't the best kind for the locks he had seen on the doors. The thief cursed to himself, he'd liked that coat too. He weighed whether or not he would have enough time to "pick up" a new one on the way out of town. Probably not.

The boy sighed and looked for something else to count in the dingy cell they had placed him in. His eyes went from the cracked concrete walls, to the old iron bars, speckled here and there with rust, that surrounded him on three sides. He'd already counted the bars, and he was tired of cracks. The thief snorted in frustration. Things might go faster if he had someone to talk to, but the guard didn't seem to like him for some reason, and there were no other prisoners in the cells next to him. He had to admit to being a little surprised at this. Either this village had very little crime, or the police force was one of the most incompetent he had ever seen. He made a mental note to consider sticking around should it turn out to be the latter.

The thief was about to ask the guard about this when he heard a heavy door open and the sound of someone descending the stairs to the cellblock. He knew who she was before she even came into view. It was Lily of Thrace. At least, that was what the boy had named her. She was one of the ninja that had pursued him a few nights ago. He called her that because that was how he had detected her. Lily of Thrace was a cheap perfume used by a lot of young girls who didn't have the money or taste for something better. The thief was curious as to what boy she had bathed in the perfume to attract. The scent had been stronger than that of the ramen coming off of one of the other's breath. At least she was wearing less of the scent now.

The girl finished the stairs and turned onto the hallway of the cellblock, facing away from the boy's cell and heading towards the guard's station. The guard looked up from his newspaper as the girl approached.

"Hello," she began, "I'm here to see the prisoner Sensei Kakashi brought in."

The man snorted at the idea and asked, "You mean the brat in cell two?"

The boy's voice rose from behind the girl, "No Frank, she wants to see that other guy, the axe-murderer."

"Shut up you!" the guard spat back before turning his attention to the girl again, "Go ahead, not like I care." With that he ignored her and returned to his paper. The girl thanked him with fake poise and turned to approach the boy's cell.

The thief raised an eyebrow as she came closer, finally getting a good look at the girl. Long, pink hair framed a face the boy might have called pretty if he were the flirting type. She wore a simple red dress, shortened and split on both sides for ease of movement with shorts for modesty. A small, plastic bag hung on her right arm. Her face, which had flashed something close to murderous intent the moment it turned away from the guard, was now giving a hesitant smile as she drew near his place on the cellblock.

To be honest, Sakura hadn't thought ahead enough to know what she was going to say to the boy. The girl wasn't entirely sure why she was there in the first place, except that she was damned if she was going to let Naruto have the last word. Her mind went back to the events of yesterday.

* * *

"So Sensei," Sakura asked, "are we done with the prisoner now?" 

"I suppose so," Answered the teacher, keeping pace with Sasuke in a sparring match while he spoke, "He didn't steal much, so he'll only spend a few weeks in jail." Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw Naruto's ears twitch. He wasn't showing it, but the boy was taking an interest in the conversation while practicing his shuriken.

Sakura returned to practicing her knife-work on the target dummy, "Hmmf, serves the thief right." Her ears caught the derisive snort behind her, and she turned to see Naruto glaring sideways at her, still practicing his accuracy.

Sakura didn't like the boy's attitude, "What?"

Naruto simply kept practicing, ignoring her.

Sakura was losing patients, "Spit it out you little twerp."

Naruto threw his last shuriken and walked over to the target, pulling the stars out with frustrated yanks.

It wasn't until all of the projectiles were retrieved that he spoke again, "It's that simple huh? He's just a petty thief?"

Kakashi arched an eyebrow as he continued to spar. This was getting interesting.

"Well yeah. We caught him in the act. He's getting what he deserves. It's not like we're throwing away the key or anything," Sakura countered. She was getting tired of the condescending tone in Naruto's voice.

Naruto shook his head as he put away his weapons, stuffing his hands in his pockets afterwards, "Let me ask you something Sakura. What are you having for dinner?"

The pink-haired girl furrowed her brow, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Naruto persisted, "Your mother's making it right?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and played along, "Yeah sure, whatever"

"Me, I'm having ramen with Iruka Sensei. Sasuke's probably got plans too. We all know where our next meal is coming from don't we?"

Kakashi and Sasuke had ended their match to follow the conversation.

Naruto continued, "Well he doesn't. The guy didn't steal the food because he was greedy. You saw him, the kid was starving. He probably didn't have another choice."

Sakura's face was reddening. She wasn't gaining ground in the argument, "So your saying what he did was okay?"

Naruto looked down, not sure how to answer, "No, I'm not saying that. It's just, I don't think he's some common hood."

"He's not?" asked Sakura, "Since that thief has been here, he hasn't shown an ounce of respect for this village's laws, or it's people. He's just a punk who's mad he got caught. He punched you right in the face for crying out loud. What makes you think he's different?"

Naruto avoided Sakura's eyes and took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts, "He's… He's probably been alone most of his life. Everything he knows he probably taught himself, and look at the kind of skills he has. Do you realize the kind of life that takes? Had he been born anywhere else, someone like that wouldn't have to steal to keep himself alive. He'd- he'd have something more. He'd _be _something more."

Sakura's face softened. She didn't know what to say. The fact that words like that had come from Naruto's mouth in the first place had shocked her, but their meaning was beginning to sink in and eat at her.

Kakashi was impressed as well. He'd never heard the knucklehead speak like that. Most wouldn't have thought it even possible, but the Jouniin had spoken with Iruka enough times to know there was more going on in Naruto's head than he let the world know. Looking at the boy, Kakashi realized how much the blonde had been thinking about their guest. Alone. Unwanted. The teacher wondered how close to home the thief's appearance had struck the young Genin. Kakashi's eyes widened as he realized how he might use this.

"All right Naruto," Kakashi interrupted, getting the attention of the two Genin, "How would you like to help the kid out?"

* * *

As Sakura neared the cell she took his appearance in for what seemed like the first time. She hadn't paid close attention before, assuming her business with the boy to be done, but now she carefully looked the thief over. 

The first thing to strike her was how thin he was. The boy, who was reclining on a bed hung from chains on the wall, had removed his shirt, leaving only an unwashed, sleeveless undershirt on that, like all of his clothes, hung loosely from his lanky frame. Even with the wiry muscle running along his body, she could still easily count his ribs through his top. The lack of fat had given him a sharp face and slightly sunken eyes. An unkempt and bright red mop of hair topped his head and seemed to follow no laws of gravity as it stuck out in whatever direction it pleased.

Sakura reached the door and gave her best attempt at seeming friendly, "Ummm, hello." The thief simply looked at her and cocked an eyebrow, saying nothing. Sakura was beginning to feel uncomfortable under the boy's stare.

"My name's Haruno Sakura. What's yours?" she offered.

"What do you want?" his dry voice asked.

A vein on Sakura's forehead made itself known as her temper rose, "Hey, I'm just trying to be friendly here. Now, I told you my name, so why don't you tell me yours?"

"Why are you making nice? You arrested me," the boy continued, ignoring her question.

Sakura was about to continue the argument when she remembered why she was there. The kunoichi sighed and pulled the bag off of her arm and reached inside. She pulled out the contents and offered them to the prisoner.

"Here, I brought you this," she said, holding out her hand through the bars, "It's a box lunch. My mother made it."

The boy's brow furrowed as he looked at the package. He sat up, the chains of his bed creaking, and finally seemed to show interest in the girl in front of him.

"Why are you giving me this?" he asked.

"I guess because you looked hungry the last time I saw you," Sakura shrugged, "do you want it or not?"

The boy stared at her for a moment, seeming to weigh his options. His stomach eventually answered for him when it let out a loud rumble.

His face reddened a bit as Sakura smiled again and said, "I'll take that as a yes."

The thief stood up and walked over to the door, taking the box from her hand. He then plopped down in front of her, removing the lid and viewing his prize. He carefully broke apart the chopsticks that came with the meal and began to eat.

Sakura pulled another item from the bag and offered the can of juice through the bars, "Want something to wash that down?"

Mouth full, the thief simply gave an awkward grin as he took the drink. He continued to scarf down his meal, as if it might be taken away if he didn't eat it quickly.

Sakura hadn't realized how hungry the boy was until she saw how he ate. She began to understand what Naruto was talking about. The thief's frame looked like he hadn't eaten well in a long time, and his eating habits only confirmed this. The kunoichi had to admit though; he hadn't simply stuffed his face. He kept his wits about him, keeping an eye on her as he ate, using the chopsticks instead of shoveling food with his hands. Sakura wasn't sure if he did this out of manners or out of a refusal to fully relax around her. She felt part of herself sting as she wondered if it was that hard for him to trust people.

The thief took a quick swig of his drink to clear his palette and then spoke, "I don't get it. You catch be robbing someone, throw me in jail, and then bring me lunch. What's the point?"

Sakura grinned on the inside as she decided to return the thief's attitude.

"You know, I think that was the first time I've seen you smile just now," Sakura said, ignoring his question, "I can't blame you. My mother's cooking is pretty good, and I'll bet it's a big improvement over prison food. If you decide to stick around, maybe you'll actually gain some weight."

Sakura watched as the thief gave her a confused look once again. Sakura simply gave a warm grin and turned to leave, congratulating herself on finally rendering the boy speechless.

The thief wondered how many more strange people he would meet in this village before he managed to get away from it. Maybe he shouldn't try too hard to get away for now. Yeah, and maybe he was going nuts. At least the food was good at whatever insane asylum he had landed himself in. As the girl turned to leave, he retrieved a small pouch from his pants pocket and placed the Kunoichi's coin purse back on her belt without her even feeling it. He gave a small sigh to himself. Curse his staunch morals.

* * *

Sorry for the long time between updates. However, I return and promise another update in a week or so. Haven't decided a name yet. I'm stuck between Arata and Hikaru. Either way, please enjoy and reviews, as always are apreiciated. Oh, and I think I'm going to change the name of the series. Something like "A thief's chance".

P.S. thanks once again for the review So.Just.Smile


	4. New Life, Same Habits

Disclaimer: The only material or characters I own here are those of my own creation. Thankyou.

New Life, Same Habits

"So you knew I was there because you could _smell _me?"

"Well, that and I could see you fidgeting, but yeah, I smelled you first. Ramen isn't the stealthiest food to have on your breath."

"Huh… good nose. Either way, at least it's still tasty," Naruto said, slurping down another mouthful.

"True," the thief agreed, pulling more of the noodles into his mouth with his chopsticks, "but you might want to eat something bland after a meal to hide the sent. Mints only replace the smell, but foods like bread help to wash it out of your mouth."

"Good, I like garlic bread," beamed the blonde.

The redhead rolled his eyes, "I think you're missing the point here…"

The skinnier of the two boys had given up trying to understand why he was having this conversation. He'd also given up on figuring out why the girl from the other day had kept bringing him lunch, or why, a few minutes ago, this blonde-headed kid had walked in, introduced himself, and thrown the thief a can of self-heating ramen through the bars. He'd simply shrugged, opened the can, and pulled the tab on the bottom to heat the noodles. The boy, Naruto was apparently his name, had handed him a set of utensils before doing the same to his own can. The two had been talking about nothing in particular ever sense.

The thief swallowed and asked, "So why did you want to know?"

"Because," the blonde explained, puffing out his chest, "A good ninja needs to know his weaknesses if he's going to improve himself. Your instructor must have taught you that."

The lanky pickpocket shrugged, "What instructor?"

"So you trained yourself?" pried Naruto.

The thief looked up at him suspiciously, "Why do you want to know?"

Naruto waved his hands defensively, "Hey, hey. I'm just curious, alright?"

The prisoner kept his stare, "Bull. You people bring me food, make nice, and then ask me all these questions. What's going on?"

The blonde sighed in resignation and looked his dining partner in the eye, "Okay look, some of the more paranoid people in the village think you're a spy. I'm just trying to prove them wrong. I don't want some petty thief locked up forever for something he didn't do."

The thief's scowl relaxed and he returned to his meal.

Finishing another bite he began, "Okay then, yeah, I've trained myself since I was little."

Naruto continued, "How did you learn jutsus and all of that by yourself?"

The redhead grinned with a little pride, "Mostly by watching and imitating. Also, you'd be surprised what you can teach yourself with a few lifted training scrolls. Buy the right shinobi a few drinks and they'll give some basic tips too. As for fighting, spend some time in half the bars I've been to and you'll pick it up real quick. Either that or you'll get the crap kicked out of you."

Naruto scowled, "You go to bars?"

The thief shrugged, "They're a warm place to sleep. Buy a drink or a meal and bartender will usually let you catch a few hours of shuteye in the corner."

The thief noticed the flash of pity in his guest's eye but ignored it, "You can usually pick up useful information in the background chatter while you're there too, like where the wealthier estates are in town."

The blonde nodded, "So you _are_ just a common thief."

"Of coarse not. I'm an _exceptional_ thief," the thin boy smirked, emphasizing the last part.

"If that's true, then why did we catch you?" shot back Naruto.

The thief's brow furrowed.

"Yeah, and it took four of you to pull it off too," he spat back.

Naruto gave a sly grin at knowing he had gotten to the boy, "Ever thought of a line of work that doesn't run the risk of landing yourself in here?"

"I don't know. I haven't eaten like this in months," The redhead gave a sarcastic smile, slurping the last of the noodles to punctuate the statement.

"You might if you had taken more than food. The family you robbed was clueless. You could have cleaned them out," the Genin commented.

The thief shrugged, "Nah, I'll pass. I know what it's like to be starving. I mean _really _starving. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I steal when I have no other choice and only what I need from those who can spare it."

"Hah," Naruto declared with a triumphant look in his eyes, "I knew you weren't a bad guy."

The prisoner gave a puzzled look, "What?"

The blonde realized he had just said this out loud, and his face flushed.

Naruto gave a dismissive and nervous wave as he babbled, "NothingNothingAnywayCyaBye." With that the Genin turned and bolted away, a smile plastered across his face.

This left the thief once again thoroughly confused and with a full stomach. He gave a small chuckle at the absurdity of his current life and decided to take a nap.

* * *

A different nap entirely was interrupted by the clanging of the door to the cellblock as someone entered. The redhead looked up drowsily to see who had arrived, hoping, because it was lunchtime, that it was the Haruno girl or the Uzumachi fellow. He was surprised therefore when a black-haired boy about his age sauntered into the room and approached the guard, announcing that Uchiha Sasuke was here to visit a prisoner. The thief was even more shocked when the guard actually looked at the boy with respect, something he hadn't done for the prisoner's previous guests, going so far as to even glare at the blonde. 

The new arrival didn't seem to care as he turned to approach the redhead's cell without so much as a thanks to the guard. He then dug into a pack on his hip and threw the contents through the bar. The thief caught the pear neatly and sat up to meet his visitor.

"Here, eat," were the only words the boy offered the prisoner.

The thief raised an eyebrow at his "meal", "A pear? Try not to break the bank."

The raven-haired boy simply snorted and turned to leave, saying over his shoulder, "You aren't worth my time. I have no patience or money to waste on a thief foolish enough to rob the same place for an entire week."

"I outsmarted _you_ didn't I? What kind of ninja snores on a stakeout mission anyway?" the prisoner called after the Genin, taking pleasure in watching the boy tense at the mention of his mistake.

The thief took a bite out of the pear before adding, "Besides, I would of moved on, but the Hyugas have terrible cooks, so I went back to the Nobends."

It was this statement that caused the Uchiha to spin on his heel and approach the cell again, giving the thin redhead a hard stare, "You mean you've robbed the Hyuga estate as well?"

The thief met his stare with mellow eyes, "Yeah, but they can't cook to save their lives, so I hit the Nobend compound again. Why? Are the Hyugas big shots or something?"

The raven-haired Genin leaned against the bars and looked the boy up and down in an appraising way, leaving the thief feeling rather awkward under the inspection.

The boy seemed to make up his mind on something before straightening up and beginning to leave again, telling the prisoner, "Do me a favor and stay alive. I want to see whether or not you're all talk."

The prisoner was left staring after his guest as he left. The thin boy then thought for a moment, counting something out on his fingers, before calling out to the guard, "Hey Frank! That guy only said fifty-five words to me and he still managed to confuse the hell out of me. These people are getting efficient Frank."

"Shut up! And my name isn't Frank!"

"Are you sure? You look like a Frank…"

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha smirked to himself as he stepped back into sunlight. Kakashi had been right after all. This kid did have some promise to him. He couldn't wait to test it.

* * *

"Do you know who I am?" 

"Well, judging by the weird hat, I'd wager that you're this village's Kage. Either that or a clown. Of coarse, some don't really see a difference there. They both have a thing for funny hats right?"

The Hokage sighed and rubbed his temple while taking a drag on his pipe, "Then do you know why I'm here?"

The thief continued to give the Sandaime little attention as he reclined on his bed, staring at the ceiling, "There's been a mistake, I'm innocent, and you're here to release me with an apology and a hearty handshake? I've been saying it all along, ask Frank."

"I'm here because you have served your sentence," continued the Hokage, ignoring the boy, "You are free to go."

The thief snapped up in bed and retorted, "You don't say." To be honest, he really was surprised. Somehow he had forgotten to escape. Maybe not so much as forgotten as put off until it was too late. He was a little disappointed. There was nothing like a good jailbreak.

"Yes," the Hokage answered, "Despite the best efforts of those you robbed, you get to leave now. We're even going to let you keep your hand."

"Neat, I like my hand. We've been through a lot of good times together, and it would kill lefty to see him go. Those two are inseparable," the boy stated, hopping up and walking over to the cell door, "Lets get this show on the road."

The Sandaime didn't move.

The soon to be ex prisoner looked at the Kage, confusion written on his face, "Sooooo, are you gonna let me out now?"

Sarutobi looked down, directly into the boy's eyes, "Let me ask you something young man. Where do you plan to go after this?"

"Away from here. Why?" the thief didn't know where this was going.

"What are you going to do?" the Hokage asked.

"I don't know. I'll figure it out," answered the boy, getting frustrated.

The Sandaime continued, "Do you even know where you're going to sleep tonight?"

"Here if you don't get out of my way," complained the redhead.

The Hokage stroked his chin and nodded, "Hmm. Would you like an answer to my questions?"

"What are you talking about?" demanded the thief.

"I'm offering you a new line of work, a new life," Sarutobi explained.

"A new life?" the boy questioned.

"Among the people of this village, as a leaf village shinobi," the Sandaime continued.

The prisoner gaped at the man. What had he just offered him? More importantly, why had he offered it to him? The boy looked down, trying to understand.

"Why?" he asked weakly, "Why would you offer me this? What do you want from me?"

"Want from you?" the Sandaime echoed, "Young man, you have grown up in a world no one should have to. Because of that, you have become… different from most children your age."

The Hokage got down on one knee, bringing him face to face with the boy, and reached through the bars, placing his hands on the redhead's shoulders, "Because of this, many want to label you a criminal, a delinquent, or a thug. They dismiss you so that they don't have to think about your life and what you've been through. But you aren't any of those things are you?"

The thief couldn't speak. He couldn't even move away from the strange man in front of him. It had been so long since someone had looked at him like this. Like… like he mattered somehow.

Sarutobi continued, "I've watched you as you spoke to the Genin responsible for your capture. You aren't what many people think you are. You aren't street trash. You're just a scared youngster who didn't ask for this life. I'm offering you a way out not because I want something from you. I'm doing it because I think there's a place in this village for you. I've watched over it's people long enough to know that they would have you if you gave them a chance. That's all I'm asking from you. Will you do this? Will you become part of my people? I'm almost certain it feeds better than your current work."

The young man in front of the Sandaime hung his head and didn't speak. His mind screamed. He didn't know what to do. He could barely think. The boy didn't want to do this. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go back to his life, but a voice in the back of his mind asked, "What life?" The thief knew part of him didn't want to do this, didn't want to believe it was true. He'd tried to believe before and remembered what happened. The thief had trusted the last man and… No. No, he knew he shouldn't trust this one either. But he also knew he had to. _She'd _want him too.

When he finally did speak up, it was with a shaking voice, "Where do I sign?"

Sarutobi grinned and stood up, "That's a good lad, now just let me get the key and we can go. We have much to discuss."

"That's okay," the boy interrupted, lifting his head and quickly wiping the corner of his eye, "I keep it unlocked." The thief then reached over and slid the bars back, stepping out calmly and shutting the door behind him. The Hokage was astonished and considered commenting on the act, but decided it was best not to encourage him.

"I don't suppose this new citizen has a name does he?" asked Sarutobi.

"Hmm?" the boy looked up, a little confused, "Oh right, I haven't mentioned it yet have I? Arata, my name is Arata."

The Hokage smiled as he thought about it, "It suits you. Welcome to my village Arata… You do know you have to give the guard his wallet back right?"

"You're no fun."

* * *

It took me how many chapters to get a name? Oh well. The story is growing in popularity apparently. A few more reviews between So.Just.Smile and top. They are thoroughly appreciated. I also notice even more are putting this story on alert status, so I'm feeling pretty good about this. To think it started as a friend asking me to write around her favorite show. Also, any advice from you, the reader, would be happily accepted. I'm returning to a two-week update pattern. I may be able to go faster, but I would like to maintain a "cushion" of extra chapters should inspiration desert me for a short time or should I get caught up in a few of my private projects. See you in two weeks, and thank you all for agreeing to be an audience.

P.S. Self heating soup cans do indeed exist. Watch Modern Marvels. Ain't the history channel a kick?


	5. Oh No! Foreshadowing!

**Oh No! Foreshadowing!**

"So now you know where we stand. We have a new Genin with no team. He's a little… rough around the edges, but I think he has promise."

"With all due respect, I think that's an understatement Lord Hokage. The child seems to have no problem with burglary or other crime when the situation calls for it. And that's just what he's done here. Who knows what he's done anywhere else he's been? How do we know we can trust him?"

Sarutobi took a deep drag on his pipe, watching the embers in the bowl light up as he thought. He had known this wasn't going to be easy. His gaze panned across the room at those present. He had called for a meeting of all of the teaching Jouniin and a few representatives from the academy in order to decide how the new recruit's training should be handled.

"I disagree Kurenai," responded Kakashi, "You've seen the boy's record, but he's actually spoken with all of _my_ Genin. According to them, he only steals when forced to, and judging by his weight, this was one of those times. The young man, Arata I believe the Sandaime said his name was, has no desire to bring harm on random innocents. I think that once he starts training as a shinobi and thus eating regularly, he'll have no reason to steal."

The Hokage nodded, "Thank you Kakashi."

Kurenai wasn't finished, "Alright, but why make him a Genin off the bat? Are you certain he has the skills? And if discipline is a problem, wouldn't a year in the academy help?"

"I would be more than happy to keep an eye on him sir," piped up Iruka.

Sarutobi nodded again but said, "While your offer is appreciated Iruka, I don't believe the academy is the best place for him. He's shown that he has the abilities of a Genin and, had he been in the academy, he would have passed this year's test on shadow clones. Something I think Kakashi could attest to. The real test for this child is simply going to be trust. However he has lived before now has rendered him almost incapable of trusting most people. The boy thought the Haruno girl was trying to trick him when she offered him _food_. I think the best place for him to learn reliance on others is in an environment that stresses teamwork such as a Genin team. I realize this breaks the rule of four to a team, but I believe that can be waved for now until an alternative can be found. On the bright side, the young man would be able to serve as a temporary replacement should any squad be short a teammate for a mission (1)."

No one else raised a further complaint, so the Hokage continued, "With any questions out of the way, I don't suppose there are any volunteers to take him?"

The room was quiet for a moment before Asuma put out his cigarette and raised a hand, "Sorry, but I have my hands full as it is. I also doubt that Ino will be very receptive of him. She already hates the other two."

"Fair enough," Sarutobi conceited, "Anyone else?"

A loud shout was heard from the back, "Yosh! This was truly destiny that I would cross paths with this boy. I shall take him under my wing and teach him the error of his ways while showing him the path of the righteous and the true power of youth!"

"Yes Gai, and then he would fall down laughing and leave," commented Kakashi in his usual lazy tone while turning a page in his usual reading material, "Besides, your team has been going for a year. They're too advanced, and it would be too difficult to try and make him feel like part of Team Ten at this point when they've already become a proper unit."

While Gai fumed at being shown up once again by his rival, Kurenai sighed and spoke up, "I suppose there could be a place on my team. I have Hinata, so it's not as if I don't know how to deal with shyness. If discipline is indeed a problem, I'm sure that my friend Anko would be more than happy to help out." The glint in the Jouniin's eye at those last words caused Sarutobi to shudder a bit.

Kakashi leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment before finally saying, "Not to insult those present, but my team would probably be the best choice."

Asuma gave Kakashi a confused look, "But aren't you the one that arrested him?"

"True, but the young man has been in contact with my team for the past two weeks. He knows them and they're probably his best bet at forming trust. Our new recruit seemed to hit it off particularly well with Naruto."

Iruka turned to Kakashi, "I'm not sure if I approve of that kind of negative influence on him."

Kurenai cocked an eyebrow, "On who? Naruto or Arata?"

Iruka's face grew red, "Funny."

The Sandaime raised his hand for silence, "That's enough. Though all of your offers are appreciated, I think Kakashi is right. And no Iruka, you can't keep an eye on Naruto, he'll be fine. Are there any other questions?"

The silence indicated that there weren't, and the Hokage said, "Fine then, you are dismissed. Kakashi, see me afterwards, and I'll take you to him. He's going to need a medical checkup and some new clothes. I've sent word ahead to the hospital. I trust you can take it from here?"

* * *

Kakashi had heard of children that hated the doctor, but he doubted they had been anything like this. The look on the boy's face when he had been told that Kakashi would be his assigned sensei was classic, but the reaction of sheer terror when he was informed that he was headed for a simple check up? _That_ was priceless. He had forgotten about Kakashi and immediately gone into a rant about how healthy he was, and how he didn't need to see a doctor, and how he just knew they couldn't be trusted what with their needles, their ice cold instruments, and their unnatural habit of sticking their fingers in…_places_. Kakashi grinned behind his mask as he remembered how the child had jumped when the door opened and the nurse had stepped inside. He'd looked at her like she was his executioner. The Jouniin had done everything he could not to chuckle as he left after the medic-nin had asked him to step out.

* * *

This wasn't Nasu's first patient. She had been around the bend enough times to know how to handle a reluctant child. She had just smiled as warmly as she could and removed Kakashi. The nurse could tell by the smile showing from behind his mask that he was enjoying the scene far too much and that he wouldn't be much help. Her eyes turned to the boy present and she remembered her orders from the Hokage. He had told her a few days ago to expect a new patient that had most likely been living in sub par conditions. Looking at the boy now, she understood full well what the Sandaime had meant.

She approached the young man and held out her hand, "Hello, my name is Nasu. What's yours?"

The redhead looked at her hand as if it held a snake, "A- Arata. Look, I'm feeling just fine, so we really don't need to do this."

"I think we do Arata. We just need to be sure. When was the last time you saw a doctor?" Nasu asked, her smile unflinching as she lifted her clipboard and readied her pen.

"About- about a year ago I guess," Arata answered, eyes shifting around the room, "There was a doctor giving out flu shots in one of the slums I was in."

"Did he give you a check up?" Nasu continued.

"Umm, no," the boy replied. He wasn't meeting her eyes.

"I'd wager you didn't take the shot either," the nurse prodded.

The child looked down, "Maybe not, but I don't get sick, so it's okay right?"

"You don't get sick?" the medic-nin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I never have. Not as long as I can remember," Arata said, a glint of hope in his eye.

A glint that disappeared with the nurse's next words, "Well then lets keep that record going hmm?" Nasu watched the boy's shoulders slump in defeat. She knew she'd have to get the boy to relax if she wanted this to go smoothly.

"How about we make this easier. Here, you can warm up my stethoscope with your hands," she said, offering the tool around her neck, "Come on, I won't bite."

Arata hesitantly took the tool and held the head in one hand, nervously fingering the cord in the other.

"The first thing I'm going to do is check your hair alright? I'm just going to make sure there's nothing alive up there," Nasu explained, her tone showing she was joking. Young or old, the trick of constantly talking to a patient and explaining everything was useful for calming someone wary of the doctor. She practiced this rule as she checked his ears, nose, throat, and eyes for problems, making notes on whatever details she thought important. To her surprise, the boy was in far better condition than his lifestyle should have warranted. There was no damage to his eyes that a lack of vitamins might have caused, and his ears were clean of infection. Oddly enough, his teeth were even cleaner than some normal children she had seen, but more remarkable was how they measured. Nasu had recently given the Inuzuka boy a once over for team assignment, and this child's canines rivaled the young ninja's. She wanted to have a closer look, but decided it might make the boy feel uncomfortable and left the matter as a quick note on her clipboard.

The medic-nin then asked him to remove his hand wrappings so that she might check his pulse. She held his calloused hand as she did this and subtly infused a small amount of Chakra into the redhead's hand in order to make her grasp feel warmer so that he might relax. This helped her immensely when she had to take his blood, the boy practically shaking. Finally, she weighed the young man and grimaced at his low weight. Nasu could tell the child was underfed, but she still didn't like looking at the scale. At least the boy was finally starting to relax.

This was brought to an abrupt end when she said, "Okay, we're almost done Arata. I just need you to take off your shirt so I can listen to a few things in your chest."

Arata's head snapped toward the nurse, "Are- are you sure? Can't you just listen through the shirt?"

"Not accurately, now please remove your shirt," Nasu answered.

"Can't we just skip this part?" he persisted.

"Not if you want to avoid pneumonia, now stop stalling," the nurse said, growing confused at the child's reluctance. The blood test should have been the worst part. What did he have left to be afraid of?

Arata sighed and sat on the bench, his back against the wall. He grabbed the hems of his shirts and pulled them up and off. Nasu was met with the sight of the child's ribs. What muscles he had didn't do anything to hide his rib cage. How little the boy ate was becoming more and more apparent. The medic-nin stayed calm and kept the shock off of her face.

She took the stethoscope back and held it against the boy's chest, "Deep breathe for me Arata." The boy's chest rose and fell and Nasu was happy to hear nothing out of order in his lungs. She reached behind his back to make him lean forward. What her hand felt there set off an alarm.

"Could you please stand up and turn around Arata?" the nurse asked, her concern beginning to grow.

The redhead hung his head and said, "Do I have to?"

"Please Arata," Nasu persisted. The former thief stood up and turned around. Nasu gasped at what she saw. The boy's back was criss-crossed with long, gnarled scars. There were over a dozen of them, and they were old, early childhood maybe. With a mind of its own, her hand raised and ran her fingertips gently down the old wounds, her fingers falling tenderly over the scars. The boy flinched at her touch.

Nasu's voice was shaking, "Arata. What did this? _Who _did this?"

"I don't remember," he answered.

"Arata, you need to tell me-"

"I don't remember!" Arata nearly shouted.

His voice lowered again, "I-I've had them longer than I can remember."

Arata looked over his shoulder, his eyes pleading, "Please don't tell anyone. I don't need them feeling sorry for me okay? I'm fine now aren't I? Whatever it was, it was a long time ago, okay?"

Nasu pulled herself together. The nurse suspected he was lying, but she wasn't going to get the boy to talk today, "It's okay Arata. I won't push you, but I do have to tell your sensei. He needs to know your medical status."

The boy nodded.

Nasu looked the boy in the eye, "If you remember anything, please tell me. I'll give you my address when you leave okay?" Arata gave a feint nod and Nasu finished the examination as best as she could so as to calm the boy back down.

She let the redhead turn back around, "Okay, we're done. You can put your shirt back on Arata. I'm going to go talk to your sensei and you can get out of here. You want a sucker or are you too old?" Arata gave a weak laugh and dressed as Nasu stepped out.

* * *

Kakashi threw away his empty coffee cup, closed his favorite novel, and checked his watch. He was wondering how much longer this was going to take as the door opened and the nurse (her name was Nasu right?) stepped out. 

"Well? Does he have cancer?" Kakashi asked.

The medic-nin gave him a stern look, "You're hilarious. As for the boy, he could be worse."

"Oh good," Kakashi responded.

Nasu continued, "His biggest problem is malnutrition. I'm going to have a friend put together a diet for him so that he can put on some weight. I also want him on supplements. He has some mites in his hair too, so I'll prescribe a shampoo. It'll only take one wash and a combing. Oh, and burn the clothes afterwards."

Kakashi's eye twitched, "That's… That's exactly what I needed to hear."

"Oh shut up and cut him some slack, he's been living in the freaking woods," the nurse snapped.

"And you were so nice before," the Jouniin commented.

Nasu sighed as she realized she'd lost her temper, "I'm sorry Kakashi. It's just… I found something else. The kid's sensitive about it and I don't know how he'll take it if everyone finds out, so keep quiet, okay?"

Kakashi nodded, confusion written on the visible part of his face.

Nasu leaned in and said in a hushed tone, "It's his back. It's covered in scars. Somebody worked this kid over, and I mean these sadistic freaks cut the _hell_ out of him."

Kakashi's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"

"Do you think I would joke about this?" she answered, "I've seen Jouniin with less scars on entire their body than this kid has on his back. It wasn't an animal attack either; these were clearly from blades, lots of different kinds and with precision. I asked him about them, but he says he can't remember how they happened, that they were there since he could remember.

The Jouniin rubbed his chin, "What do you think?"

"I think he's lying," the medic-nin replied, "but the boy's in no shape to talk about it right now. It's pretty obvious that he has some issues coming at least partially from whatever caused this, but that's not my area, and I doubt he'll agree to see someone. You might just want to keep and eye on him. But promise me something Kakashi."

"What?" asked the teacher.

"If he ever tells you who did this, save a piece of the bastard for me," Nasu hissed.

Kakashi met her murderous look and matched it, "I'll make no promises. No one does this to one of my students."

"Good," said the nurse tersely, "You can go now."

Nasu turned and knocked on the door. Arata came out and she smiled at him again, telling him he could go. As he walked past her, she carefully slipped a note with her address on it into his hand. The boy pocketed it without a word.

Arata looked up at Kakashi as if he expected him to say something about whatever conversation the Jouniin had just had with his nurse. To his credit, Kakashi didn't. He already had his usual calm smile showing from beneath his mask.

"Come on, let's get you some new clothes. I think the current ones have a few tenants," he said, leading the boy outside. Nasu was glad that Arata didn't look back to see the tear rolling down her cheek as she returned to her duties.

* * *

Hey! You got Drama in my Comedy! 

You got Comedy in my Drama!

I'm gonna kick your &#$!

That being said, I'd like to make one thing clear: this is not an angst fic. I enjoy adding a little depth here and there to a character, but I assure you that the main fic shall remain mostly lighthearted, with a somewhat serious plot frame. I want people to enjoy reading this fic. The growing popularity is terrefic, and all of those who read this are thanked heavily, even more so are those who sent in reviews (your wallets shall be returned in six to ten buisness days, or however long it takes for you to cancel your credit cards (or for Arata to max them out)). The rest of you, get on those reviews :P.

(1) Can you say Deus ex Machina? I knew you could.


	6. The Last Suit You'll Ever Wear

Disclaimer- You know darn well I don't own any of this aside from the stuff I make up.

The Last Suit You'll Ever Where... Until Laundry Day

The boy was still scratching. He had been since their trip to the hot springs. Arata gave another frustrated growl and once again complained that his clothes itched.

"That's because they're clean," Kakashi informed the child, rolling his eyes, "You had better get used to it too, because if you're going to be on my team, I expect you to bathe regularly."

"Define regularly," was the only rise Kakashi got out of the redhead.

The Jouniin eyed the boy walking next to him. Arata seemed on edge, and Kakashi couldn't figure out why. This was a different tension than the trip to the hospital, more uncomfortable than fearful, and there didn't seem to be a reason. The boy kept scanning his surroundings nervously and his posture was rigid, as if he was unable to relax.

"They don't fit either," Arata continued. The outfit in question was an extra training uniform from the academy. Meant for someone a tad younger, they still hung a bit loosely off the boy's frame, but the pants legs were too short, as were the sleeves.

"How would you know?" Kakashi shot back, "You're old clothes were at least two sizes too large."

"At least they were comfortable. Did you really have to burn them? I liked that jacket," the redhead grumbled. To be honest, he was also sad to see a number of useful tools of his "former" trade go with the jacket. He had been allowed to empty most of the pockets, but he had given up on an excuse as to why to keep thieves' tools when he wasn't supposed to be one anymore and had left them hidden in the seems of his forlorn garment. It was going to be a hassle to replace them.

"Those weren't clothes, they were an ecosystem, and yes," was the instructor's answer, "You're about to get new ones anyway, so relax." The two stopped at their destination and Kakashi led the boy into a small clothing store.

The owner looked up when she heard the bell on the door ring and put on her best smile for her customers, "Hello Kakashi, it's good to see you." Indeed, it usually was. Kakashi was a Jouniin with a tendency towards away missions. This meant that his clothes usually fared poorly due to combat, and he often needed replacements.

Arata looked at the woman approaching him quizzically. She had a slim build, and wore a modest, lily-white kimono with red accents. Her brunette hair was pulled back in a large bun for convenience, leaving her warm and smiling face unobstructed.

The woman's eyes shifted to the redhead and she spoke again, "And who, may I ask, is this young man? I didn't think you had a son Kakashi."

Kakashi gave a small smile through his mask at the woman's jest and answered, "Hello Mrs. Kusabana, this is Arata. He's a new pupil of mine. We're here for a new uniform."

"Arata? Hmmm, I don't recall you at the academy," the woman pointed out, putting a finger to her chin, "And the rush for new training clothes passed a few weeks ago with the graduating Genin."

"He's new to the village. Special circumstances," Kakashi explained, hoping she might leave it at that.

She didn't, "Oh really? Where are you from?"

Arata fidgeted under the woman's gaze. He didn't like questions, and she seemed full of them.

"Around. I travel a lot," was his brief answer.

Kakashi wasn't in the mood to explain, and, judging by the way Arata was acting, neither was he.

The Jouniin decided to cut the woman off before she could continue to prod, "So of course I knew exactly who to take him to for the best new clothes money could buy."

The woman's gaze jumped back to the Jouniin and she grinned.

Waving off his complement in false modesty, she said, "Nonsense Kakashi, you came because my shop is cheap, but lucky for this young man, it's also the best. Now, let's get started." With that, the woman approached the boy and took a very uncomfortable Arata by the arm as she began to lead him around the store. The boy looked pleadingly over his shoulder to Kakashi, but the Jouniin only waved and motioned for good luck as he turned to go get lunch. Arata gave a different hand signal, but Kakashi had his back turned and missed it, perhaps for the best.

"My husband owns a weapons shop you know. A strange combination the two of us, but we share certain business beliefs," Mrs. Kusabana said, as she began her practiced sales pitch, running through the lines for the thousandth time as she manhandled Arata through the isles, "He has a saying, "A weapon for every Shinobi". Well I think there's an _outfit_ for every Shinobi too. It says who you are, what you believe in, and how you live your life." Arata had no idea what this woman was going on about as she led him around the store against his will. He simply added these events to the growing theory that everyone in this village was out of their gourds. All he did know was that he was still itching and it was driving him nuts. He realized that the woman, who currently continued to hold his arm in a vice grip, was still talking.

Suddenly, the saleswoman stopped and whirled around, looking the boy in the eye as she reached the crescendo of her speech, "So tell me young man, who do you want your clothes to say you are?"

Arata could only stare blnkly at the woman, "To be honest ma'am, I just want something that isn't so itchy."

Mrs. Kusabana realized at this point that she might have laid it on a little thick. The boy obviously hadn't caught or understood half of what she had said. The speech usually worked best on her female clients anyway, so she decided to take a simpler approach.

She let go of the redhead's arm but pinched his sleeve, rubbing the cloth between her fingers, "Well of course you're itching. You're wearing linen. Linen doesn't breath. My daughter made the same mistake when she started training. You want cotton. You're a bit thin too, so we'll want to measure you for a custom fit. It shouldn't take long. We're lucky it's a slow day; you're my only customer. Now come along."

Arata gave up and followed the woman as she led him to a set of three mirrors. The saleswoman reached into her kimono and produced a small measuring tape. She then began to take seemingly every measurement on the boy. Arms, fingers, legs, feet, she kept going, mumbling the sizes to herself as her hands flashed from limb to limb. Arata hadn't the foggiest what she was doing, but he decided to let her get it over with as she continued to call out measurements to no one in particular. Waist, neck, shoulders, head; she seemed to have an order to the movements known only to her.

After measuring the young man's forehead, the owner stopped and said, "Right, that should just about do it. I'll be right back." With that, she left a very confused Arata behind as she bustled about the store, pulling random pieces of clothing off of the rack, giving them a once over, and either returning them or hanging them over her arm. She finally returned with a full arm and motioned for Arata to follow her to the dressing room. The two then began a cycle in which the boy would be handed a set of clothing, quickly change, and reemerge from the stall to be looked over. With every outfit, the owner would hmmm, stroke her chin, and eventually ask Arata what he thought, eliciting the same awkward shrug each time. This continued for a number of cycles with no real end in sight.

Hari Kusabana couldn't figure the boy out. She prided herself on her taste, but she had to agree with her client that none of the clothes seemed to feel quite right. She knew the problem too. It was the boy's frame. Hari had never done work for someone so thin before, and custom tailoring would only emphasis his wiry nature, something her years of experience told her the boy was self-conscious about. It hit her then what the solution was. The saleswoman dug deep into the pile of clothing and pulled out a pair of baggy, dark khaki cargo pants and a plain, maroon t-shirt. When Arata returned from the dressing room, Hari knew she was on the right path. The boy still shrugged, but his posture showed a bit more comfort. The final touch came to mind and the saleswoman rushed off, humming at her triumph, only to return shortly afterwards holding a grey, zip-up hooded sweatshirt.

Arata took the jacket and pulled it on. He turned to the mirror, pulled up the hood, closed the zipper, and, for the first time since entering the store, he smiled, "These don't itch as much."

Mrs. Kusabana sighed in mock exhaustion and said, "Finally, another satisfied customer. We'll need to do some quick tailoring for comfort, but otherwise, we should be fine." As Arata held still while the saleswoman placed a handful of needles in a few strategic places to mark her work, Hari smiled inwardly. The solution had been fairly simple: just disguise the boy's weight. Mrs. Kusabana had had problems with insecurity in Genin before. The Hyuga girl had had the same problem finding anything she liked. A simple jacket was all the girl had needed to feel a little more comfortable, like another layer between her and the world that seemed to terrify her so much. The saleswoman could see that Arata was the same. Given some time, neither would probably need the garments as much, but until then a sale was a sale.

Kakashi finally returned from his extended lunch, full and happy, to find Arata waiting with a new outfit and a stack of similar clothes in his arms. The Jouniin paid the woman with part of the funds allotted for the boy's equipment by the academy. The same program had handled Naruto's expenses. He complimented the owner on her usual taste and turned to leave. Mrs. Kusabana only waived him off and wished the boy luck, adding that they could thank her by making her husband's shop their next stop.

About a block away, the two stopped, and the Jouniin produced the lunch he had grabbed on the way back for his soon to be pupil. Arata still eyed him accusingly for putting him through that, but he wasn't about to turn down free food. The two sat on a nearby bench as he ate, and Kakashi watched him out of the corner of his eye while pretending to read his "private" novel.

Arata finally seemed calm as he ate, but his usual rapid pace remained. The instructor finally realized why the boy had been on edge. He wasn't used to being in public. Someone like him had probably kept to alleyways mostly, trying to avoid attention. Now Kakashi had him walking around in the open like anyone else, and he wasn't used to it. The new clothes, namely the hood, helped Arata to avoid feeling exposed, but it still reminded Kakashi of the uphill fight the young man had in front of him. Most of the Genin were building careers. This boy was building a life.

Arata halted his meal and perked his head up, looking to his right down the road. Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts and followed his gaze to the trio approaching them. The Jouniin sighed inwardly and returned to his book when he recognized them, the tallest one continuing to wave.

"Kakashi, my eternal rival! Imagine seeing you here. A beautiful day is it not?" called the green clad man as he approached.

"Hello Gai. Doing well?" the Jouniin replied, not even looking up from his novel.

"Of course I am Kakashi. How can one not be inspired by such a beautiful day? Am I right team?" Gai answered, turning to the two behind him.

"Hai Gai Sensei! This is the perfect weather for improving myself!" a young man who most might have sworn was a clone of the taller one nearly shouted.

The other boy, whose long hair was tied behind his back and was wearing a combat vest, simply rolled his pale eyes in response.

Gai turned back to his rival, and his eyes fell upon the redhead sitting next to him. He had been casually watching the trio from underneath the hood of his jacket since they had arrived.

"Tell me Kakashi", Gai asked, "Is this the lad Sarutobi spoke of?"

The Jouniin looked up from his reading material, "Hmmm? Oh, yes, this is him. We just finished picking up some new clothes for him and were about to head down the street to pick up some new training gear". As he said this, he motioned to the weapons shop on the corner.

Gai turned fully to the boy and raised his hand in thumbs up, "Well then young man, let me, Maito Gai, be the first to welcome you to the Path of Righteousness!" At that he pulled back his lips in a smile that could only be described as having its own light source.

Arata held his hand up to shade his eyes until the strange man in front of him finished smiling. He noticed behind him that the boy with the bowl cut looked at his older doppelganger with something akin to worship. The other seemed to be trying to act as if he didn't know either of them.

Once Gai finished his pose, Arata examined the man's head fro any sign of injury but did his best to remain polite, "Ummm… Thanks?"

Gai motioned to his students, "Lee? Neji? Why don't you two introduce yourselves to the new recruit? He's just joined us on the path of a shinobi, so I'm sure he would appreciate any encouragement."

Bowl Cut stepped forward and stood as rigid as a board, saluting a confused Arata, "I shall follow Gai Sensei's example and welcome you to our ranks. I am Rock Lee and I hope that you shall find success in defending our home and fulfilling your dream."

At this, Lee held out his hand and Arata stood and did the same after tossing the remnants of his lunch in a trashcan by the bench. Lee snatched the redhead's limb and vigorously shook it, nearly causing Arata to stumble.

The redhead smiled awkwardly as he took his hand back from his new acquaintance and straightened his hood, "I'm Arata. Thanks to you too I guess, but I don't come from Konoha. I suppose I'm new here." At these words, the brown-haired boy turned his pale eyes to Arata, showing interest for the first time.

"Really?" Lee asked, eyes brimming with curiosity, "Then what brings you here? Where are you from? Why come to Konoha?"

Arata rubbed the back of his head as he tried to think of the answer, but he didn't have to as the longhaired boy spoke up, "Because it was that or a jail sentence Lee."

Lee looked confused as Pale Eyes turned to stare Arata in the face, "Am I right? You are the boy the Nobends have been complaining so much about recently aren't you? The one that was caught stealing food and was given a job instead of a punishment?"

All eyes split between the two young men as a strained silence settled over them.

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Arata finally ended the moment, his eyes never breaking the stare between the two, "Actually, I served my term, so it was either this or the streets, but otherwise you're more or less spot on. I didn't get your name by the way."

Kakashi had intended to step in so that he might bring an end to the conversation and save some trouble, but the last statement stopped him. He certainly hadn't expected such an answer from the boy, and the Jouniin was now tempted to see where this was going.

Before the Hyuga could answer, Lee found himself unable to be silent, "Gai Sensei? Is what Neji says true? Did I just welcome a cr-criminal to Konoha?!"

The green-clad man did his best to calm the boy down, "Well, you see Lee, uhhh, it's not that simple. He used to be a thief, sure, but now he has decided to change his ways and join us on the valiant path of a Shinobi."

Lee's eyes grew wide at his role model's words, "Really?"

Turning to the hooded boy in front of him, Lee asked, "Is this true? Did you turn away from your criminal past in order to follow in the footsteps of heroes like Gai Sensei?"

Before Arata could answer, Neji interrupted again and sneered, "More like to get a free meal. People like him don't change just like that, and even if they could, I doubt he would last in our world."

Arata didn't even flinch at the words as Gai turned to his pupil, "Neji! You are to show more respect to one of your fellow Shinobi."

Neji smirked at the order, "To do that would infer that he was anywhere close to being my equal. He's a common thief and nothing more. I'm above him, and a Hyuga doesn't waste their time on people that are below them."

As both Lee and Gai fumed at the Hyuga's disobedience, Arata finally responded, "I suppose I should follow your example and be on my way then."

The redhead turned and motioned to Kakashi, who had been following the conversation while pretending to return to his novel, "You coming?"

The Jouniin stood and began to follow the boy.

As Arata passed the longhaired boy, he turned and gave a parting wave to the trio, "It was good to meet you two. And Neji? Tell your family to hire better cooks."

Behind the boy, Lee shouted his farewell as Neji pondered what that last sentence had meant before following his team as they continued on their way again.

Kakashi caught up to the redhead and commented, "You seemed to take that young man's words pretty well."

Arata shrugged, "I guess I'm used to it. He kind of reminds me of another noble that gave me trouble once."

"Oh?" Kakashi asked, cocking an eyebrow, "And what happened with him?"

The Jouniin could see a sadistic smirk form in the shadow of the hood, "To this day, I think his nose is still crooked. It even whistles when he gets mad; funniest thing you'd ever see. But, of course, I wouldn't know how that happened."

"Of course", Kakashi agreed, mimicking the smile, "I think this should be the place." They entered the weapons store and heard the deep voice of the manager calling from the back that he would be out shortly. Arata looked around the shop, marveling at the variety. Most of the equipment he had ever owned was, to say the least, used. The weapons in front of him gleamed with an unsullied shine, and the store had a background sent of the new leather of ammo pouches and the cleaning oil wiped over the many blades. There was another, more familiar scent as well, but Arata couldn't quite pick it out despite his best efforts. The store was far warmer than the outdoors, and the redhead pulled his jacket off, tying it around his waste. The red glow coming from one of the two doors in the back made the boy realize that most of the shop's wares were made right in the store.

A massive and sweating man appeared from the glowing doorway and grinned at seeing Kakashi, "Ah, you're back. You didn't break another one of my products did you Kakashi? Your habits are ruining my merchandise's reputation."

Kakashi gave a casual wave to the old friend and answered, "What are you talking about Tetsu? Every one knows your equipment lasts at least twice as long as your competitors', even when I use it. But no, I'm just here for a starting kit for my new pupil. He just moved here."

The baldheaded man looked down at the thin boy in front of him, "Hmmm, I swear the recruits are getting smaller every year."

Arata arched an eyebrow but gave no response.

Tetsu turned towards the other door and called out, "Oy! Tenten! We need another training set up front."

"Right father, be right up" called a young female voice from the storeroom.

Tetsu then looked back to the young man and spoke, "So, you're new here right? Well the first thing you need is something all your own. Like I say-"

"There's a weapon for every Shinobi?" interrupted Arata.

The smith chuckled, "I thought you were carrying bags from my wife's store. Regardless, I think you should look around. Tell me, do you have any specialties yet?"

"Specialties?" echoed the redhead. As he said this, a girl about his age with a pair of buns on her head entered the room with a collection of equipment in her arms.

"Here you are Father. By the way, Gai Sensei just came by to tell me that we're having some night training this evening, so don't wait up," she explained as she set the bundle on the counter.

Tetsu smiled with pride at his daughter, "Ah, Tenten, good timing. I need you to appraise my new client here. You always know this stuff better than your old man."

The girl turned to Arata and looked him up and down, not seeming very impressed, "Well anything heavy is out of the question for this scarecrow. You sure he's even out of the academy yet?"

"Now now Tenten, be polite," her father cautioned, "Not everyone's as strong as we are."

Arata's eye twitched. He was really getting tired of being spoken down to, regardless of whether or not it was intentional. The redhead was about to offer a retort when the mystery-smell from earlier finally registered, and a rather disturbing smile played across the young boy's face.

"Chemical sets. What kinds do you have?" Arata's voice catching the pair's attention again.

The man scratched his bald head, "I don't think we have any."

"Yes we do. I stocked the new ones under the counter yesterday," Tenten corrected. The man grinned sheepishly at his mistake and reached under the counter, pulling a large box out and setting it carefully in front of Arata. He pulled the top of the starter kit off for inspection, revealing a number of bottles holding a variety of substances.

"You know young man," Tetsu cautioned, "Most just buy pre-made explosives. Do you even know how these work?"

Arata ignored him as he stepped forward and leaned in, his nose inches from the bottles. His eyes flew across the labels on the containers and he gave a few quick sniffs.

The redhead looked up questioningly at the owner, "Ammonium Oxidizer or Permanganate (1)?"

Tetsu's mouth opened before closing again, and he could only shrug. Tenten simply stared at the boy, the disapproving glint disappearing from her eye. Kakashi might have smiled, but the thought of a Genin, more importantly a Genin he would be held responsible for, mixing his own explosives didn't do wonders for his stomach.

Arata simply gave a polite nod, grinning on the inside at finally shutting the two of them up, and told them the kit would do just fine.

Kakashi decide to see if he could avoid the future headache as he interrupted, "Sorry, but the academy only gave me enough funds to pay for standard equipment."

"It's fine", Arata responded, reaching into his pocket, "I can pay."

"You can?" asked the surprised Jouniin.

"Sure I can," Arata continued, pulling a wallet from his jacket, "Don't you remember? The Hyuga boy offered to help pay as a way of welcoming me to the village."

Tenten gave a confused look at the redhead in front of her, "_Neji_ Hyuga? That doesn't sound like him."

"Oh yeah", the thin boy confirmed as he eyed the price on the kit and counted out the cost from the bills in the wallet, "The guy was really very nice about it. Said it was the least he could do for a fellow Shinobi. You seem to know him, so would you mind thanking him for me the next time you have a private moment with him? He didn't want the other two on his team to know about it but said he could trust a girl named Tenten who worked at this shop to be descrete, that's you right?" at these words, Tenten's face lit up in a blush, "My name's Arata by the way, so just mention my name when you thank him (2)."

Kakashi eyed the small Hyuga symbol sewn into one of the corners of the wallet as the redhead pocketed the billfold again.

Tenten nodded but kept her puzzled expression as her father rung the order up and Arata and Kakashi left the store.

"So unlike him", the girl mumbled as she returned to the back.

Once outside, the Jouniin looked down at the boy next to him, "You know there's going to be trouble when he realizes what happened."

The "former" thief smiled as he donned his jacket once again, "I doubt it. That would involve half the village knowing a two-bit thief humiliated him, and he doesn't seem like the type to let that happen."

Kakashi pulled his hand to his chin and said, "You know, I really shouldn't encourage this kind of behavior, regardless of how well it was pulled off."

"What are you talking about?" Arata countered, "Neji should be commended for being so welcoming to those new to the village."

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want to discourage that, now would I?" the Jouniin said as he continued to walk.

Kakashi decided to bring up a different point, "Care to explain how you knew any of that stuff about the chemical kit, or were you just messing with their heads?"

Arata allowed a small smirk to cross his lips again, "I had to learn to read from whatever I could get my hands on. One of the training scrolls I "borrowed" turned out to be a scroll that served as a beginner's guide to explosives. I must have read that thing a hundred times trying to figure the words out. By the time I'd learned to read, I couldn't help but give some of it a try. I started small with smoke pellets and flash powder made from whatever was within reach and moved up from there, doing my best to track down more advanced readings on the subject. The problem was that alchemists tended to be able to afford good locks, and some of the better materials don't travel well. As for source material, apparently they don't give information on building explosives out to just anyone. Go figure. Either way, I'm looking forward to trying out a few recipes I've had in mind."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and wondered if he should have opted for flame retardant clothing for the child. Most Genin his age would have leapt at the chance of owning a katana or a combat staff. Somehow, Kakashi had gotten the arsonist. This was going to be barrels of fun, he just knew it.

"C'mon," he said, "We'll drop this stuff off at my place, and then we'll go meet your new team."

* * *

Whew, good to see I can manage a chapter during finals season. I'd actually written this chapter a few weeks earlier, but I decided to rewrite it as it felt a bit too dry (feel free to tell me if it still does). A few notes now I suppose. Ahem. I really appreciate the reviews I received on the last chapter. It's good to know what I'm doing right and what could be done better, and to see this story from the reader's perspective. So, Mojo, So.Just.Smile, Top, thank you for the reviews and any more advice is warmly welcomed. 

Also, I've tried to check my sources as well as possible, but spelling and background details seem to shift from site to site, so please alert me of any mistakes I make regarding the characters, particularly Tenten's parents or background, as I have found next to nothing surrounding her personal life, so I took some liberties.

I found Neji's conversation a little difficult (though still enjoyable). I wanted to reflect his attitude being more of a philosophy, as the manga demonstrates, rather than just being a pissant (I love that word). Tell me how you feel about it and how Arata reacts.

By the way, I've never published online until this story, so feel free to offer any tips you might have on the workings of this site.

The next update should be an end to the introduction arc and things should pick up a bit from there. The next chapter should also feature my first combat scene, so tell me what you think when I eventually post it.

One more thing, aside from the last chapter, I think I've managed to have Arata steal at least one thing per update, a pattern he assures me he is willing to preserve regardless of personal costs in the name of the story. Isn't he a trooper?

(1)- Man I love Wikipedia! They've got Fething(3) everything.

(2)- I was humming Smooth Criminal when I wrote that, and I don't even like Michael Jackson XP (No offense to fans of the king of pop).

(3)- Anyone who knows where "Feth" is from gets a gold star and their credit cards back.


	7. Tests

Disclaimer- I own none of the characters or material in this story other than those purely of my own creation.

A small note- It occurs to me that I never gave Arata new shoes last chapter. Please excuse the mistake and go on the assurance that he now wheres your average casual boots with the pant legs covering the laces. I may amend the last chapter, but for no I wanted to be sure I got this one out on time.

Tests

"They're late," complained the Genin.

"Are you surprised Naruto? This _is_ Kakashi sensei we're talking about here," commented Sakura from her place on the grass. Despite her words, Sakura was feeling impatient as well. The three of them had been told to meet their new teammate around four in the afternoon at their usual training grounds. That was half an hour ago. Add that to the anxiety of trying to decide about how she felt about the new addition to her team, and one could understand why she had anxiously plucked up nearly every piece of grass within arm's reach of where she was sitting. Sakura wasn't cold blooded by any measure of the term. She had honestly wanted to help the boy when she realized his situation. But to make him a full Genin right off the bat… The girl didn't know what to think about it. She wished she could be as certain as Naruto. He had practically leapt for joy when he had heard the news. Sakura doubted that she should be surprised. Of the three of them, Naruto seemed to get along best with the boy. Sakura still couldn't shake a feeling of awkwardness around him though. He just seemed so different from everyone else his age. The way he looked you in the eye without flinching. It just seemed… odd. The thief had seemed so even-tempered. She had expected shear spite when she first spoke to him. Sakura was, after all, partly responsible for his imprisonment. Granted, he had been wary, but she had never seen any real anger in his eyes. He even seemed quite gentle during his subsequent meetings with her, thanking her for the food and eating quietly as she left.

But there were other times. Other times when he seemed quite cold. Not towards her exactly, but sometimes, when she brought him lunch, Sakura would catch him staring off at almost nothing, a stony look on his face giving no hint as to his thoughts, as if he were somewhere else entirely.

"Here they come," Sasuke commented from his place leaning against a tree.

Naruto swung down from his position on a branch to a point where he was hanging upside down from the limb by his legs.

"Hey! Over hear," the blonde called to the pair as they approached, giving an awkward, upside-down wave.

Sakura dismissed her thoughts and hopped up to welcome the two of them, brushing off her dress as she did so. She gave her best smile to her new teammate.

"Sorry we're late," Kakashi began, "We were on our way when a black cat crossed our path, and we had to take a longer route to get here.(1)"

"Sure you did Sensei," Naruto said as he flipped down from his position in the tree.

"No really, I did. Ask him," Kakashi replied, motioning to the boy next to him. The redhead had an exasperated look on his face as he gave a sad nod.

"Either way," the Jouniin continued, "we're here now, and we can get introductions out of the way. Why don't you three go first; same drill as last time."

Naruto grinned as he stepped forward, holding out his hand, "I know you already know my name, but I'm Uzumaki Naruto. I really like miso ramen, pork ramen, beef ramen, any ramen really." The former thief wasn't particularly surprised considering that this was the only kind of dish the blonde had brought the boy over the last few weeks.

The Genin's face lit up as he remembered another interest, "Oh! And I like gardening. Also I plan to become Hokage one day." The redhead took the handshake and gave a feint grin of recognition.

"Good to know you have a variety of tastes Naruto," Kakashi commented, "How about you Sakura?"

"Oh, uh," Sakura mumbled as the boy turned to her, the girl feeling as if she were now on the spot, "Haruno Sakura. I like ummm…" at this she gave a sideways glance at Sasuke, who gave no sign that he noticed. Arata cocked an eyebrow, suspecting he had identified whom Lily of Thrace had earned her name for. He also noticed Naruto rolling his eyes at the girl's actions and wondered what reason the blonde had to care.

"I like training, and studying, and I hope to be a great Kunoichi some day," she finished. She offered her hand, and Arata took it, doing his best to reassure the girl with a firm grip and a patient smile. Sakura blushed slightly, not expecting such a kind gesture from someone she barely knew.

"Thank you Sakura. That leaves you Sasuke," the Jouniin finished.

The black haired boy sighed and stood up strait, looking at the redhead, "Uchiha Sasuke. Becoming stronger is my only real interest, and my goals are my own." No hand was offered and the Uchiha was met with an unfazed shrug of the shoulders from the new addition.

"Nice to see you're warming up Sasuke," the instructor said, turning to Arata, "I suppose it's your turn now. Just state your name, tastes or hobbies, and goals."

Arata scratched the back of his head through the hood before pulling it down and speaking, "I figure I should finally tell you that my name is Arata."

The boy paused and put his hand to his chin, looking up in thought, "You know, I've never thought too hard on what I like." For a moment he stood motionless, not saying a word.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, and no one knew whether or not to speak.

The silence was broken when Arata snapped his fingers and said, "Cooking! I like to cook."

Kakashi gave the boy a questioning look, "You like… to cook."

"Yes," the redhead replied, unflinching in his choice, "Yes I do. I have to cook most of my meals, so I figured I might as well be good at it. You'd be surprised what I learned to cook on my budget. Why?"

"Nothing. Nothing", the Jouniin said, holding up a hand defensively, "Moving on, care to explain what you hope to accomplish as a shinobi?"

Arata looked up again, and the others present groaned inwardly, expecting another wait before he spoke, "Well, my original dream was to eat twice a day, so, I guess I'm living the dream." Arata held up a thumb at this and was greeted with the confused slash horrified looks of the other Genin.

Realizing his mistake, the redhead gave an awkward laugh as he explained, "Sorry, sorry. It's an inside joke belonging to an old friend of mine. She liked dark humor."

Perhaps to put an end to the uncomfortable moment, Kakashi clapped his hands together and said, "Alright, now that that's out of the way, how about we get down to business? In order to properly welcome you Arata, I say we have a test." At this, Kakashi held up a small bell on the end of a string.

Naruto grimaced, "Oh come on Sensei! We don't have to go through this again do we?"

Kakashi waved off his student's objections, "Relax Naruto, this is different."

Turning back to Arata, whose interest had been peeked by the blonde's words, he continued, "Before anyone can join a Genin team in this village, they must pass two tests: one given at the academy, and one given by their instructors. You have already demonstrated the skills to pass the academy test, so it was waved."

At the next words, a strange glint entered Kakashi's eyes, "However, I am not so easily impressed, and my test is substantially different. I'm not about to put my pupils' lives at stake with an untested novice."

Arata wasn't very surprised. It had seemed odd that he would just be given a rank that most worked years to attain. He wasn't exactly worried either. He'd trained for years too after all.

"Alright, shoot," the Genin hopeful answered, doing his best to appear unafraid.

Kakashi grinned to himself at the boy's eagerness, "The test is two-fold. I'll begin with the first part. I have in my hand a bell. If you will look behind Naruto, there is another just like it hanging from that branch," at this he motioned to the second bell, "When I say go, I'm going to throw a kunai and cut the string. At the same time, I'm going to drop the first bell. To pass, neither bell can hit the ground. In order to make things interesting, you may not use any jutsus, weapons, or other equipment. In fact, you can't even move from your spot next to me. Otherwise, do as you please. You have five minutes before the test begins."

Now Arata was worried. He waited for a moment, expecting there to be more to the test, but that was all there was. The redhead grimaced as he thought through the instructions again. As far as he could see, there was no way to win, which meant he was either screwed or there was something else going on.

Sasuke smirked at the challenge, seeing the point immediately. To be fair, he'd dealt with Kakashi long enough to pick up on his nuances. He wondered if the redhead was going as silently mad as he had when he had faced the original bell test.

"C'mon dobe," he thought, "Don't blow it already. I haven't gotten a chance to see what you're worth yet."

The answer clicked with Sakura a moment later and she began to worry. It occurred to her that her sensei knew exactly whom he was testing, and had built the test around him. She hoped Arata wasn't too far-gone to see the answer right in front of him.

Naruto, on the other hand, was in an eternal loop in his own mind trying to figure the test out. Had those present not been distracted, they might have sworn they smelled smoke.

Regardless, Arata was still stuck on the answer. He had no idea what this man in front of him was getting at. If he couldn't use jutsus, or tools, or even _move,_ then what was he supposed to do? It was like he wasn't allowed to catch the second bell at all. Wait. Maybe that was the point…

Kakashi was considering granting his possible future pupil more time when Arata slapped his forehead in realization of his stupidity.

The redhead looked to the trio of Genin and said, "Hey, Naruto right?"

The blonde's head perked up from trying to understand the test as his name was called, "Hmm? You mean me?"

"Yeah you," answered Arata, "You mind catching that bell on the tree branch when it falls?" After getting over his own realization of foolishness, the Genin was more than happy to catch the bell, and when the kunai was thrown, neither of the objects hit the ground. All four youngsters present were relieved at this.

"Very good Arata," Kakashi complimented as he took the bells back, "although it probably shouldn't have taken so long. The question you should now be asking, however, is why I constructed the test as I did."

Arata looked up at his proctor for an answer.

He wasn't disappointed when the Jouniin spoke again, "You see, you're joining a team now, which means you must be able to rely on every one of us, and we must be able to rely on you to the point of reflex. You've operated on your own most of your life, so I suspect that counting on others is going to be your biggest obstacle. That's why I built this test: to teach you that kind of reliance. I hope you can understand this, or it could cost you your life one day, or worse: the lives of your team." Arata's face grew serious as he thought about the man's words before he slowly nodded his understanding. Kakashi beamed inwardly as he realized he finally had a student that might actually listen to him.

"Fine then," the Jouniin continued, holding up another silver trinket, "Now, for the second part of the exam. This will be a test of your problem solving skills. You have five minutes to get another bell from me. I won't hold back in my skill so I don't suggest you do either. Don't expect brawn to be your only ally here Arata, or you're not getting anywhere. This time however, you can't ask for help. When I say go, I want you to find the best way possible to get this bell. Are we clear? Just tell me when you're ready."

Arata thought for a moment before declaring that he understood. After that, his gaze turned upward as he turned the problem over and over again in his mind. After a time he looked at his instructor and told him that he was prepared.

"Good," Kakashi began, "We'll go in five, four, three, two, one!"

After the last number was counted, Arata immediately held out his hand, palm turned upward saying, "May I please have the bell?"

"Certainly," his foe responded, dropping the trinket neatly into his hand, "welcome to the team."

After the other three present had picked their jaws up from off the ground, Naruto voiced his confusion.

"The answer is simple Naruto," the Jouniin lectured, cocking his head to one side with a mischievous grin showing behind the cloth of his mask, "I thought it best to teach all four of you that sometimes the simplest answer is the one most often overlooked. Fortunately, one of you didn't need the lesson. Plus, I felt like having some fun with your heads."

The three of them glared at Kakashi's usual habits as he smiled at his genius, reaching into a side pouch and withdrawing a Hitai-ate bearing Konoha's symbol.

He motioned for Arata to come forward and held the item out to him saying, "This is the Hitai-ate of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It bears our mark, and all who would serve this land and its people have worn it with pride."

Arata reached for the headband, but Kakashi's grip remained firm as he continued, "Understand this. To wear this symbol is to commit to something bigger than yourself. It is to swear to aid anyone else who wears it, regardless of personal feelings, and to protect all those who live in the lands it represents to the point of death."

At this, the Jouniin waved his hand across the village and then towards his students, finishing with his palm on his chest, "That said, it means that any one of us that also wears this symbol will always do the same for you. It is certainly possible to leave this life, but the choices to follow this path or to abandon it are never ones made lightly. You still don't have to do this if you don't want to Arata. There could be other lives, far safer lives, for you in this village should you choose them. What I'm saying is I want you to understand what you do as you don this headband. This isn't just a piece of clothing. It's going to be part of who you are for many years to come." Kakashi said all of this without blinking and without breaking eye contact with the boy in front of him.

Arata stared at the man, his mouth suddenly dry as he thought about the Jouniin's words. His hand shook slightly as it held onto the Hitaiate. Arata admitted that part of him was afraid. He wouldn't deny that. But another part looked upon the man in front of him with something akin to awe. To believe in something as greatly as this man clearly did; to believe in it to the point of death? That part of him wanted, _needed_ to share the kind of life that produced a man like this, and wanted desperately to understand what could inspire such feelings. Therefore, it was with a trembling hand that Arata took the headband and tied it around his neck as if it might be the last thing he ever did.

Kakashi put his hand on the boy's shoulder and said, "It's good to have you, Genin Arata. You're not alone anymore young man, and as long as you wear that headband, you never will be."

Arata turned to his official new team and was greeted with a thumbs-up and a wide grin from Naruto. Sasuke even managed a smile toward his new cohort. Sakura rolled her eyes at her blonde teammate but still welcomed Arata as warmly as she could, a great deal of trepidation at the idea forgotten.

Kakashi snapped his fingers and dropped his serious nature, "Now that the dramatics are out of the way, why don't we have our first training session? You know, get an idea of Arata's skills. I think a sparring match is in order. Sasuke? Why don't you help out?"

"I thought you'd never ask," the raven-haired boy said as he stepped forward, already beginning to stretch, "Get ready, I haven't decided whether I'm going to go easy on you or not."

"Are you sure Sensei?" Sakura questioned, a worried look crossing her face, "Maybe he should start out against me or Naruto. Sasuke might be a bit much."

Kakashi ignored the glare Naruto pointed at Sakura's direction and answered, "Nonsense. This'll be a friendly spar. No Nin or Gen jutsus, just hand to hand. Now back up and let the two get started." At these words, the remaining Genin and their instructor retreated to a safe distance, leaving the soon-to-be combatants alone as they walked over to the dirt training field.

Arata seemed to not particularly care about the high opinion his new comrades had of his opponent. He simply slouched into a relaxed combat stance and matched the Uchiha's smirk.

Sasuke adopted his own stance and gave a final warning, "I hope you aren't just talk, or this is going to be over fast."

"Cocky one aren't you?" was the redhead's only reply. At this, he launched himself forward, flying at the raven-haired boy. As Arata's right fist swung at his opponent, Sasuke nimbly blocked it with his left forearm and responded by slamming his right palm into the redhead's chest. Arata stumbled back, gasping for breath, and the Uchiha stepped forward and landed a kick against the same spot, sending the boy flying. Arata landed with a cloud of dust at the feet of his new sensei. When he opened them, his eyes were greeted with the sight of Kakashi's face staring down at him.

"I suggest you get up. Sasuke isn't one to end a match early," the Jouniin offered.

Arata glared up at the man and spat, "This is because I stole your wallet that time isn't it?"

"There may be a connection, now get up," the instructor responded, his even voice hiding whether or not he was joking.

Sakura walked over to help Arata but felt Naruto grasp her arm. She looked back to see the blonde's stern face staring at her.

"No," he said, "He doesn't need help. Not yet."

Sakura was about to disagree when she heard Sasuke continue, "Come on, I'm not even breathing heavy. Don't tell me this is all I've been looking forward to."

Arata picked himself up and dusted off his clothes, turning to stare his opponent in the eye, "You sure like to talk don't you? Fine then, I suppose I'll start taking this seriously." After this was said, he pulled his hood over his head and donned a strange grin.

For the second time, the new Genin ran forward.

"Doesn't learn fast does he?" Kakashi wondered to himself.

Arata stopped just short of his foe and threw a kick toward the side of his head. Sasuke gave a smug "tisk" at the attempt and leaned back, easily dodging the blow. The new addition wasn't finished, however, as he twisted his body and rode the momentum all the way around, bringing his foot up again for another go. Just before he did, however, Arata almost imperceptibly dragged his toe through the dirt of the field. Sasuke, overconfident from dodging the first blow, avoided the second without noticing the cloud of dust being dragged behind the boot until it was in his eyes.

The raven-haired boy gave a confused yelp at the unexpected pain that was cut short with a stiff uppercut to his gut, lifting him a few inches off the ground. The wind knocked out of him and blinded by the dirt, Sasuke could do little against the flurry of blows he soon suffered to his head and abdomen. The Uchiha staggered back, sucking wind, and adopted a defensive stance as he tried to clear his eyes. His bleary vision made out a blurred Arata as he advanced again, and the two began to fight on more even terms as Sasuke's vision began to clear. After that, the fight went back and forth for a time. Sasuke would attack with the precision and skill he was known for, and Arata would find strange new ways of out-maneuvering him and using whatever he had to keep his foe off-balance as he kept up a constant retreat, even taking to the nearby tree at one point as the redhead used the branches to trip the Uchiha up as he advanced, landing blows whenever his defenses faltered. There didn't seem to be a rigid style to the new Genin's tactics, but rather just using whatever opportunities presented themselves. Arata's feet almost danced as they slipped from branch to branch, always keeping him just out of reach of his opponent. When Sasuke seemed to have his foe cornered at the end of one of the higher boughs, Arata simply gave a quick wave goodbye as he hopped backwards, grabbing a branch as he fell to one of the lower limbs, bending it down and letting go, the limb snapping back up and striking his opponent in the face. Sasuke grabbed at his scratched nose and missteped, falling painfully a few layers before righting himself, looking up into the grinning face of his momentary nemesis as he sat casually on a limb, still waving at him.

Kakashi watched the two of them as they dueled. He wondered if the other two had seen it, but doubted it. The boy Sasuke was fighting was not the same one the team had been speaking with a few moments ago. Kakashi had once heard that "A warrior's face shows when his fists rise". He could see some wisdom in this now. Arata was stronger than he appeared, stronger than most would think when looking at the apprehensive and soft-spoken boy. The question the Jouniin now had to ask himself was what was behind that face.

Both of the combatants were now sweating and out of breathe, and both were clearly enjoying every minute of it. As the fight grew in intensity Kakashi decided to call for an end to the combat. He didn't like how Sasuke's hands were beginning to form something similar to hand signs.

"Very good you two, bring it in," Kakashi called, "I think I'm starting to get a picture of your combat style Arata."

Sakura crossed her arms and huffed, "If you mean dirty tricks than yeah. Why didn't he follow the rules like Sasuke?"

"But he did Sakura," Kakashi corrected, "All he did was use hand to hand techniques. He just used different ones than what we're used to."

Naruto ignored the two of them and ran forward to congratulate his new teammate. Between gasps for air Arata thanked the boy and turned to offer his hand to Sasuke. Kakashi watched as the two's eye's locked as they shook. Both knew exactly what the look on each other's faces meant, and so did their teacher. There was a second rivalry in the group.

The Jouniin walked over to the boys and got the redhead's attention, "So tell me Arata, where did you learn the Kibou-Dageki(2) style?"

Naruto looked up confused at his sensei, "Uhh, what are you talking about?"

Arata sighed as he flopped onto the ground to catch his breath, "I didn't even know the name until I'd been unknowingly studying it for a few years."

"But what is it?" Naruto continued to push.

The redhead explained, "Well, you see, a number of generations ago, a few masters got together and broke down the fighting techniques used in the more, ummm, rough areas. They refined them, improved them, and turned them into a real fighting style. This way, a master could operate without openly appearing to be of real skill. It turned out to be particularly useful for getting a drink without young idiots always challenging you to a fight. The form focuses more on using terrain and the unexpected than thoroughly trained skills."

"In other words Naruto," Kakashi translated, "It's a technique of nothing but sucker punches."

Arata gave an awkward grin as his face turned red, "More or less. The point of Kibou-Dageki is to never directly attack an opponent. Since the style blends in at bars, I didn't realize till later that some of the tough guy's I had been imitating had actually been those that studied the style. It took one of them insisting that they teach me the right methods if I was going to represent their style for me to find out what I had really been doing."

The redhead then rubbed the back of his head as if remembering an old wound as he reminisced, blushing even deeper with embarrassment, "She beat me senseless during her "training sessions" too."

Kakashi nodded as the boy explained and waited for him to finish before speaking again, "It's not a bad start Arata, and I'm glad to see you got training from someone who actually knew what they were doing, but I'd like to see you learn a few more direct tactics. The problem with Kibou-Dageki Tai-jutsus is that they aren't meant for protracted fights. They don't have the base combat skills for it, just tactics. A smart opponent will adopt defensive stances and wait you out until you're cornered and out of tricks. That's why most who use it mix it with other Tai-jutsus. Had the fight continued, I suspect Sasuke would have come out on top."

Sasuke gave a self-satisfied smile at the words, and Naruto stuck his tongue out at the Genin behind his sensei's back.

"Of course," Kakashi added, "most Shinobi that practice that style tend to apply it to their entire outlook as Ninjas. Kibou-Dageki usually works best with Nin and Gen jutsus as the focus anyway."

Arata rubbed the back of his head, "To be honest, I've always tried to avoid pure hand to hand combat. I know a few basic Tai-jutsus, they just never really appealed."

The Jouniin shook his head, "Regardless, I want you studying more Tai-jutsu. Specialization is one thing, but I don't want you falling behind. Your physical condition is going to need improvement too." Arata conceded the point and finished catching his breathe.

Naruto suddenly looked down at his watch and realized he was late, "Oh man! I was supposed to meet Iruka Sensei for ramen ten minutes ago."

Kakashi turned to the blonde, "Relax Naruto, I'm sure he won't mind. Why don't you take Arata with you? Iruka should have some papers for him to sign anyway."

The Genin grinned at the idea, ignorant of the fact that Kakashi had planned for it from the start, and grabbed the redhead, pulling him from off the ground, "That's perfect. You're going to like Iruka sensei Arata. He buys me dinner all the time at this great ramen stand. I'm sure he can pay for yours too."

Arata, seemingly back to his original, mostly silent state, could only nod and give a brief wave to his new fellow teammates before being dragged behind the boy as he sped off.

Inside one of the pockets of Arata's jacket, a small pouch with the symbol of the Uchiha jingled due to its contents. The redhead wondered how he would explain to whoever this Iruka person was why he wouldn't need help paying for dinner. He also wondered how long it would take the black-haired fellow to come looking for him. Regardless, at least he would eat well tonight.

* * *

"Alright then young man, if I could just ask you a few questions." 

"Shoot," Arata said through a mouth full of noodles.

"Okay," Iruka continued, readying a pen, "First name?"

"Arata," answered the boy, wondering why the man needed to ask after the rather spirited introduction Naruto had given him.

"Last name?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Iruka raised a questioning eyebrow, and the redhead explained, reaching for his drink, "Never had one, never needed it till now."

Iruka decided not to press the issue and simply marked an "X" so that he might fix it later, "Age?"

Arata swallowed and answered, "Somewhere between Juvie and being tried as an adult."

"You're serious?" Iruka might have been more understanding had the boy not had a wry grin on his face, appearing to enjoy the strange nature of the conversation.

"I know right? I really should have had my medical records transferred from my last prison when I was arrested," Arata said just before slurping more of his dinner through his widening smile.

Iruka's left eye twitched at the direction the conversation was taking, but Naruto seemed to find it hilarious as he was doing his best to keep ramen broth from coming out of his nose.

Arata didn't have anything in particular against the man. Naruto seemed to look up to him, and he'd bought the redhead dinner. The questions simply resembled the same questions he was always asked when by those who caught him, or at least thought they had. The answers he gave were a sort of running joke to him, one he had just reflexively told to the man in front of him.

Regardless, he decided to not seem rude, "Sorry, I've just never been a citizen of anywhere really, so I've never had to keep this kind of information or I've just never known it."

Iruka's frustration settled at the young man's words, understanding the situation Arata was in and mustering the same smile he always used to cheer Naruto up, "Alright then, we'll work that out later I suppose. I just need you to sign some citizenship papers and you'll be a full-fledged resident of Konoha." Iruka handed the boy a few papers and a pen and pointed to a line near the bottom where he could sign.

Arata took the pen, scratched out his name on the line, and handed the forms back to the man.

Iruka took the documents and straightened the stack of papers before slipping them into an envelope and looking back at the redhead, "Well, that should just about take care of it. I'll talk to the Hokage about setting up an apartment for you. Oh, and your name will also be placed on the adoption listings for the town."

Arata made to object but was cut off by the Chunin, "Not to worry. You aren't required to go along with it, but should anyone become interested, and you agree, we want to be sure it's an option. In the mean time, I'll find someone to house you until your new home is ready."

Naruto's eyes then lit up at an idea and he broke in, "You don't have to do that Iruka Sensei. He can stay with me."

Iruka wasn't sure, "I don't know Naruto."

"Oh come on Sensei", pleaded the blond, "I've got enough room, and it's only until you can find him a place. We'll be fine, right Arata?"

Arata was caught a little off guard by the invitation and mumbled, "I guess so, if it's okay with your parents."

Naruto's face darkened at the redhead's words and Arata thought he might have made a mistake, "Did I say something wrong?"

The blonde's face immediately shifted to a wide grin as he did his best to dismiss the awkward moment, "No, no, I just, uhh, live by myself at the moment, so room isn't going to be a problem."

The new Genin realized his faux pas and dropped the subject, "Alright then I guess."

Iruka was tempted to push the matter, but decided Naruto had a point. It certainly saved the Chunin some trouble, so he agreed to allow the redhead to stay with the blonde for a time.

Arata was distracted when he saw another bowl set in front of him. He looked up to see a brunette girl a few years older than him smiling warmly at the boy through the steam rising off of the noodles.

"Here", she offered, "A gift. My father heard that you were new to the village and insisted that your bowls be on the house tonight." Arata blushed at the gift and thanked the girl, doing the same to the cook.

"Don't worry about it", she replied, "You look like you could use a few extra pounds anyway." The boy's face took on a deeper shade of red at the pick at his weight, and he began to eat. Not particularly hungry after the first bowl, he slid it down to Naruto who dug in with gusto. Arata fingered the wallet inside his pocket and decided to give it back to the Uchiha tomorrow. It wasn't as if he had disliked him enough to seriously steal from him anyway. He just enjoyed the idea of the look he would most likely have on his face. Besides, it might teach him to follow the rules and avoid jutsus in what was supposed to be a hand-to-hand fight.

After all had eaten their fill, Iruka bayed goodnight to the two as they parted ways. The pair of Genin stopped by Kakashi's house and picked up Arata's new possessions before heading back to Naruto's home. The boy unlocked the door and the two stepped inside as the blonde flipped on the lights. Arata watched as the boy dug through his closet and pulled out a pillow and an extra pair of sheets, shooing away a few moths whose homes had been disturbed in the process. Both exhausted from their respective days, they said their goodnights and turned out the lights.

* * *

Moonlight filtered through the open window and bathed the room in a pale glow. A cool breeze drifted over the ledge, keeping the small apartment comfortable. From his place lying on Naruto's couch, the redhead could here the blonde snoring on his bed. He had tried to insist that Arata take the bed, but the redhead had refuses, saying the couch would do just fine. 

The piece of furniture had indeed more than served its purpose, proving quite comfortable. Naruto's snores weren't the problem either, as Arata had learned to catch sleep just about anywhere he could manage it when he had too. No, Arata knew all too well that it was him keeping himself awake that night as he stared at the ceiling, willing with all his might for the morning to come soon.

He could feel it growing in the back of his mind. The nightmares were coming. The redhead didn't know how he knew, but he always had the same feeling of foreboding, the same hairs rising on the back of his nick, the same prickly sensations dancing up and down his spine before they came and turned his night into torture. Torture he would bolt up from, screaming with all his might, drenched in sweat, and swinging at nonexistent demons. He didn't need that, not now. The boy would much rather keep himself awake than go through that. The question was if he could. He felt his eyelids fighting him, and didn't know if he could win.

"Just till morning. Make it to morning and you can fetch it then," he kept repeating to himself, but Arata quickly realized he wouldn't last that long. Pulling the sheets back, the boy eased his way off of the couch and slipped his shirt and jacket back over his undershirt. He laced up his boots and made his way as quietly as he could to the window. He checked to make sure Naruto was still asleep before pulling up his hood and leaping from the window as he began to make his way across the town. It was cool night, and the wind brushing across the boy's face brought light tears to his eyes as he traveled.

Stopping at the park, the boy slowed to a hurried walk and halted in front of a large tree near the center of the meadow. Hopping through the branches, the young man pulled himself onto one of the highest layers. That's where he found it. A dirty knapsack was tied to the underside of one of the branches, right where he'd left it a few weeks ago. There was no sense in loosing everything on the off chance that he was arrested, so the boy always hid what he couldn't afford to lose before going about any "questionable" activity. The redhead whispered a silent thanks that there hadn't been any rain since the whole ordeal had begun as he untied it. Throwing the pack over his shoulder, he made his way down the tree and hurried back to his host's apartment.

Letting himself in through the window, Arata sat on the couch and began to rummage through the sack as quietly as he could. Reaching past the flint and tender box and a few bundles of useful plants, the boy grasped his reason for the excursion.

Pulling his prize into the light, Arata breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the reassuring weight of the object in his hands. Pulling the item from its worn, leather sheathe, Arata watched the moonlight play off of the blade of the dagger. Just below the length of his forearm, the knife reflected the now relaxed eyes of the boy in its slightly curved blade, resembling something close to a fang, as he sheathed the weapon and slipped it under his pillow, giving the handle an affectionate squeeze before letting it go. Slipping out of his over-shirt and boots, Arata laid back down and finally let sleep take him, his dreams devoid of the nightmares he feared so deeply.

* * *

Well, that should about wrap up the introductory arc. The land of waves is our heroes' next destination. In the mean time, I suppose I should answer a few questions. As for the chemical kit mentioned in the last chapter, I've usually seen explosives used in traps and defensive tactics in the show, and I wanted Arata to use them a bit more offensively. While certainly not along the scale of devastation and sheer power of Deidara, I still plan for them to play a key role in Arata's combat style as well as serve as a running gag for his character (you'll see). As for his tactics, in case you can't tell, Arata is going to be fighting dirty, not cruel, just dirty. The boy learned to fight in bars, so I doubt he'd be above a few cheap shots when the situation warrants them ;). In any case, this is the first fight scene I've ever written, so please tell me what you think, pull no punches (no pun intended). Thank you all for the recent reviews as well. To wrap this up, Merry Christmas to So.Just.Smile, Mojo, top, and everyone else who has made this story a ton of fun to write! 

(1)- As far as I've been able to tell, this kind of thing is a common excuse for Kakashi's tardy nature. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

(2)- Literally: Trick Strike


	8. Helluva First Mission

Disclaimer: I wonder how many different ways I can say that I do not own the source material?

**Helluva First Mission**

"Oh come on old man, I'm sick of this!"

Sarutobi grimaced at the disrespect and ground his pipe between his teeth again. This wasn't the first time he'd had to deal with the boy's complaints, and the Sandaime now found himself once again on the business end of one of the Genin's rants.

Ignorant of the Kage's annoyance, Naruto continued to complain, "All we've been given since we got out of the Academy is chores! We're ready for a real mission."

"Naruto," objected Iruka, "You need to learn patience. Besides, your team has a new addition and he needs time to acclimate before leaving the village."

"Actually," a hooded redhead broke in, "I'm used to traveling, so that shouldn't be a problem."

Iruka sighed. He could tell not only by the look in Naruto's eyes but also by the agreeing nods of the remaining Genin members of Team 7 that this issue wasn't going to be easy to put to rest.

"I realize you are all itching for more advanced tasks," Iruka placated, "but this will be Arata-san's first mission. With all due respect to his abilities, it's best to start him off slow."

"I disagree Iruka," countered a lazy voice, "Arata has shown during our recent training sessions that he is more than capable of taking care of himself. I think he's about as ready for a C-rank mission as any of my team." Indeed, Arata had shown himself to be almost on par with his teammates. Though his Tai-jutsu still required work, the newly recruited Genin had shown great skill with ranged weapons, waving it off as the product of a former addiction to barroom darts, and was already the forerunner of the group in stealth. He had apparently not lied about his hobbies either, as Naruto was seen constantly at the local super market picking up new spices for the boy. The blonde had no objections, claiming the cooking was easily worth the trips. Kakashi had no idea what the redhead could accomplish with instant ramen, but apparently Naruto was more than satisfied with the results.

Iruka was about to disagree with the Jouniin's estimation when the Sandaime was the one to cut him off this time, "Very well Kakashi. If you believe they are ready, we have recently received a request for an escort to the Land of Waves."

"Are you certain sir?" asked the scarred Chunin.

"Why not? The other teams are cutting their teeth on C-rank missions by this point, and I trust Kakashi to be a good judge of whether or not they can handle it," the Kage explained, puffing on his pipe as he spoke. In actuality, there was an additional reason for him wanting the team out of town. It was proving more difficult than expected to find housing for the new addition. Apparently, the Nobends had taken offense to the light punishment bestowed upon the boy and had taken it upon themselves to make his life as difficult as possible in order to make up for the slight. Though mostly a merchant clan, they had still managed to use their own connections and simple gossip to cause most of the landlords in town to be hesitant to rent to a former "criminal". Sarutobi was almost certain he could have a place for the boy soon, but figured it was best if Arata was out of town while the Sandaime handled the deal. The redhead seemed to have a habit of making enemies if some of the new rumors surrounding him and a certain Hyuga were anything to go by.

"In that case," conceded Iruka, "I'll find the proper documents and the five of you can meet the customer at the south gate tomorrow morning." With that, Iruka shuffled through a few papers and found the envelope containing the mission before handing it to Kakashi to look over.

The members of Team Seven left shortly after the paperwork was filled out, the sounds of Naruto's celebrations echoing down the halls of the building, with all, save Kakashi, ignorant of their new addition's near invisible reaction to the mission, or rather, to the mission's destination.

* * *

"I can't believe this. This is what I get for the cost of a C-rank job? I paid good money and they give me a group of kids as bodyguards?" 

"Now now, sir, I am a Jouniin, so I doubt any common bandit has much hopes of getting anywhere near you," Kakashi offered, hoping to quiet the old man.

It didn't work, "Maybe, but I doubt the midget knows what end of the knife to point at the enemy, and the scarecrow looks like he'd starve to death before we even get to my home."

"Shut up you geezer!" Naruto responded in his usual fashion, "Don't underestimate us." Arata, on the other hand, barely arched an eyebrow at the jab directed at him before returning to his own thoughts, thoughts that seemed to have held his attention hostage for the better part of the mission.

Similar conversations had been taking place since the beginning of the mission, and now, with the team a few days out of town, tired, and running low on water, tempers were starting to flare. Though Naruto was the only one to voice it, all of Team Seven was becoming more and more frustrated with the man who seemed to prefer sake to water and never seemed to run out.

Arata's head perked up from under his hood, and his nose twitched as he sniffed the air, "I smell fresh water nearby. Why don't I fill up our canteens? A cold drink should help cool all of us down."

"I don't smell anything", commented Sakura, tilting her head in confusion.

"I do," insisted Arata, pointing to the right off of the path, "It's coming from over there."

Kakashi was surprised. He knew the area, and there actually was a small stream about a hundred feet from the path, however, due to the dense trees the land was known for, even he wouldn't have known it was there without prior knowledge. Arata had an impressive nose indeed to pick it up from such a distance.

Filing the information away for future use, the Jouniin spoke up, "Good idea Arata. Take the team's canteens and catch up with us after you're done."

Arata nodded and began to collect the water skins before turning to Tazuna, "Would you like me to refill yours sir?"

The bridge builder looked down at the boy before lifting the bottle in his hand, "No thanks, this is all I need."

Arata persisted, "A man can't live on sake alone you know. Some water would do you good in this weather."

"Said just like a boy too young to understand a good drink," countered the man before taking another swig.

Arata gave a small sigh but then donned a slight smile as he turned to go, calling over his shoulder just loud enough for the old man to hear, "To be honest sir, I could probably drink you under the table with little trouble. I just prefer water." Before Tazuna was tempted to ask what he had meant, the redhead was already off, leaping through the trees, the canteens dangling on his arm behind him.

Unseen by any of them, six eyes watched the group as it traveled. Without a word, the owner of one of the pairs motioned to the one next to him. Nodding his understanding, he silently stood and made his way around the backside of the travelers before following after the hooded Genin.

* * *

Arata's pursuer cursed under his mask. He had wanted to be the one to kill the Jouniin, but no. Instead he had the job of tying up loose ends. The assassin checked the straps of his gauntlet again to be sure it was properly secured. Light filtered its way through the branches of the forest, glimmering off of the claw attached to the man's forearm as he followed the Genin. Hearing the water in the distance and seeing the boy stopped at the bank of the stream, the Chunin stopped and made his way as quietly as possible to take cover just behind the redhead. 

Inching forward, he watched as the thin boy discarded his jacket in order to cool off and began to unscrew the lid to the first canteen. The Genin then stooped by the river and began to fill the flask. The man smirked to himself at how easy this was going to be. Tightening the grip of his gauntlet, he made ready to strike.

He never did, however, as his eyes widened at the feeling of a small prick at his throat. Looking down without turning his head for fear of worsening the wound, the Chunin saw the tip of a kunai pressed against his neck.

From behind his ear, he heard a voice, "Really? You're a Chunin? You're too old to be a Genin and there's no way I got the drop on a Jouniin, so you must be. And you can't see through a simple shadow clone? That's not going to look good on your review. If I was the one who hired you, I'd really want my money back."

Standing behind the would be assassin, Arata held the blade tightly against the man's throat, the tip resting against an artery, rising and falling with the Chunin's rapidly increasing pulse.

"Now don't move, or I might miss and remove something vital," the boy taunted, reaching around with his left hand to quickly slice away the straps holding the gauntlet on the man's forearm with a second kunai before holstering the blade again. The claw fell from the man's now limp grip and landed with a soft thud.

"H-how?" the Chunin stammered.

"Years of cutting purse strings my friend," answered the boy while twisting the man's now bare arm behind him in a painful hold while keeping the first kunai against his neck, "By the way, you might want to start being quiet a little farther than twenty feet from me, and bathe too, you smell terrible."

Throughout all of this, the clone had still been filling the containers with water, seemingly oblivious to the events, finishing shortly after Arata's last words. After hanging them on his elbow, the copy walked over and removed any additional weapons from the assassin before sticking his tongue out as he threw the claw over his shoulder.

Arata then turned the man around and frog-marched him back towards the path, "You, sir, have some explaining to do to my sensei as to why you tried to kill one of his pupils. I don't think he's going to take it well."

"Please," the Chunin spat over his shoulder, "My brothers have already killed your friends, and they're going to kill you too when they find us."

Unfazed, Arata continued, "Judging by your track record, I don't think my team has much to worry about from your brothers. Now get going." The redhead twisted the man's arm even further, eliciting a yelp and a faster pace from the humiliated shinobi.

* * *

After finishing with the unnecessary bandages on Naruto's hand, Kakashi turned to the two Chunin tied to the tree behind him, "Now, once my fourth pupil returns, I think I'll give my students a crash course on interrogation." 

A fire lit up in the back of the Jouniin's eye as he spoke, and the two of them shuddered before one shot back, "Wait all you want. Our brother's already killed him."

All present tensed at the statement. Kakashi cursed to himself. He hadn't counted on a third.

He was about to turn to find Arata when he heard a voice from the woods, "Oh geeze, I hope that guy's okay. I hear these borderlands are dangerous." From the bushes, a shinobi wearing garb similar to the two currently secured to the tree emerged, slightly hanging his head. Slightly because just behind him and holding a kunai to his throat came Arata with a wry grin on his face. Behind him came a doppelganger, holding the same weapons the other two ninjas had been carrying along with the team's canteens.

"Arata!" shouted a relieved Naruto.

The hooded Genin turned to his teammate, "Oh hey Naruto. Ya thirsty? By the way, what'd I miss?"

Kakashi chuckled as he took the third of the brothers and secured him with his fellows, "I could ask you the same question."

"Nothing out of the ordinary. Why?" answered the boy as he took the canteens from his clone and started passing them out to his teammates, who could only stare slack-jawed at the Genin. The clone then tossed the weapons he was carrying on the ground and excused himself in a puff of smoke.

"Hey! What happened to your hand Naruto?" demanded the redhead when he saw the wound.

The blonde's face reddened and he stuck the hand in his pocket, "I'm fine, Kakashi Sensei handled it."

The Genin shrugged but little of the worry left his face as he allowed the subject to drop. The two sides exchanged explanations before Arata was told the team would be going through with the mission, even with the revelation that they wouldn't be fighting simple thugs anytime soon.

Rather than showing the trepidation that now gripped the other Genin, Arata simply gave a dark smirk at the news, "I chose a hell of a time to change professions, huh?"

Kakashi's only reply was a shrug and the command to move out in order to arrive in time to meet the ferry. Sakura was a little awed at Arata's level-headed reaction, but made up her mind to ask him later as the team needed to hurry.

As team seven began to disappear into the distance, leaving the trio to be picked up by a passing patrol, two of the brothers turned to glare at the third.

"What?" asked the focus of their ire.

"A Genin?" growled one of the brothers.

"Shut up!"

* * *

"How much am I paying you? Don't answer, I already know. The point is: I'm not a man to waste money. Not a cent, and certainly not the amount I'm paying you. Your men failed, and now the bridge-builder's guard's know an attack is coming, so please, prove to me I'm not wasting my money-" 

The short man's rant was interrupted when a blade taller then he was stopped mere inches from his face.

The blade's wielder spoke, "Your voice has a tendency to get old very fast. Relax, soon your target will be dead and my wallet will be full, and we can all walk away from this smiling. Now get out."

The mogul glared at the man in front of him but said nothing, turning to make his exit.

Stepping out onto the balcony of the tree house, the man allowed his seething anger to finally show as he clinched his fists and spat onto the deck. After reaching the ground, the man looked up before hissing, "If he fails, finish the job, then finish him. I'm tired of this waste." A pare of eyes the color of ice bobbed from their place in the nearby tree as their owner nodded his understanding. Without a sound, the figure disappeared.

* * *

"Before we go any further, I think it's time you did some explaining, and keep in mind that if I don't like what I hear, my team doesn't set foot off of this boat." 

The bridge-builder tensed at the words, realizing what they could mean for him. He surveyed the others on the boat, the Genin each staring intently for an answer except for the redhead who kept his eyes pointed at the fog, having been told to keep watch. Tazuna's eyes then returned to the hard glare of the Jouniin who had clearly lost patience with the man.

He took a deep breath before beginning, "Alright then, as you've probably realized, I wasn't completely honest when I applied for the mission."

"Either that, or standards for bandits have really gone up over the years."

Tazuna glared at the raven-haired boy before continuing, "The truth is I couldn't afford to pay for a B-rank. Hell, my entire village chipped in, and you five were still the best I could get. Regardless, I still needed help. Otherwise, I was guaranteed to die. So yeah, I lied, but it was the only way my people were getting any help."

"Okay, with that out of the way, care to tell us just why your head's on the chopping block in the first place?" demanded Kakashi.

The bridge-builder sighed as he answered, "Have you ever heard of a man by the name of Gato?"

At that, all present save Naruto tensed in shock.

Arata overshadowed this however, as he whipped his head around to give his full attention to the old man before demanding, "Gato? _The _Gato?"

Kakashi gave a surprised look at his pupil, "You know him Arata?"

Seemingly remembering that his team was present, the redhead stuttered an answer, "J-Just by reputation, but I doubt it's the one you know."

Tazuna nodded at the boy's words, "I see we share an opinion."

"Sorry, but who is this guy?" interrupted a thoroughly confused Naruto.

Sakura sighed at the blonde's ignorance, "He's one of the richest men in the world Naruto. He runs the largest shipping company in existence."

"That's what most of the world knows," corrected Tazuna, "but to anyone privy to his real face, Gato's one of the greatest smugglers of illegal goods and drugs in the business, and to anyone in his way, he's a ruthless thug who thinks nothing of using whatever means necessary to remove an obstacle, breathing or otherwise. Gato doesn't aim to just take over other companies either. He has his eyes set on controlling nations."

"So why are you an obstacle?" asked Sasuke.

"Simple," answered the old man, "The land of waves is made up mostly of islands. Anyone who controls the ocean surrounding them controls the country, something a shipping company like Gato's wouldn't have a problem with. I'm no leader, or hero, or warrior. I just build bridges, but here, a bridge means we don't need shipping anymore, which means we don't need Gato anymore either. The bridge is almost finished, but if I die, my men will give up and so will my country. We just don't have the will anymore."

"The Gato Rot," hissed Arata from under his hood.

"What?" asked the Jouniin.

"It's slang for what Gato does to the areas where he focuses his less respectable businesses," explained the boy, his words dripping with distaste for the mogul, "I've passed through areas that Gato's gotten his nails into. He isn't happy just controlling the economies; he wants the people under his thumb too. The tactics he uses: intimidation, arson, murder, the man's like a disease; like a cancer that eats at the will of a people until they don't even want to fight back anymore."

The other Genin were chilled by their teammate's words, partly by their meaning and partly by the way they had been said. They'd never heard Arata speak in that tone before. Sakura found it hard to believe that the normally soft-spoken and even-tempered boy in front of her was capable of hatred, but there was no denying the meaning behind his tone.

Tazuna gave the boy a confused look, "I thought Kanoha didn't do business with Gato."

Arata's scowl disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared, "I, uh, only moved to Kanoha recently."

Kakashi sighed inwardly. It was at least technically true, but he really had to get the boy to agree on a cover story, as he doubted most would want to hire a former burglar.

The bridge-builder turned back to the Jouniin, "So you understand now why I lied. I won't blame you if you turn the job down. My grandson probably will though, after he finishes crying over his dead grandfather. And my daughter, of course, will despise the village of Kanoha. And my entire land will fall into Gato's hands and be cursed to poverty for centuries. But no, _I_ certainly won't blame you."

"That's very understanding of you sir," replied Kakashi with a roll of the eye.

The Jouniin then turned to those under his command, "Well, I suppose we're in this for the long haul then. Are we in agreement?"

Kakashi felt something like pride well up when he saw each of them nod their approval, but managed to hide it, "Alright then, when we reach shore, keep together and stay on guard. This is going to get worse before it gets better."

* * *

They were hungry. All six of them were, but no one seemed to want to slow down to eat. Ever since leaving the ferry, the group had kept a swift pace so as to reach their destination quickly. Following the shore, Kakashi hoped to arrive at the port city Tazuna called home by the end of the day, and to make sure, there had been an unspoken order that they would stop only when Kakashi said they could. However, it was an order that Arata seemed to forget when his eyes widened as he spotted the prey he had been looking for in the water. 

Before anyone could ask what he was doing, Arata had tossed his jacket, shoes, equipment, and over-shirt off and dove into the water, only slowing down due to having trouble with his left sleeve. The others could only stare for a moment in confusion before Arata surfaced again, gulping air.

"Arata, what the heck are you doing?" demanded Naruto.

To answer, the redhead simply thrust his hand out of the water, holding its contents out to be inspected.

The blonde squinted to make out the young man's trophy, "Uhh, rocks?"

"Nope, lunch," Arata corrected through a widening grin. The boy flailed awkwardly in the water as he deposited his prize in one of the many pockets that ran up and down his cargo pants, before declaring that he needed more for a proper soup.

"Arata, we don't have time for this. We need to get to the village," Kakashi sighed.

"We can still eat lunch and get to the village by dusk. It's only a few more miles," the redhead argued while treading water, "Besides, we can't win a fight if we don't have the energy."

The Jouniin might have argued had he not known that the boy was right. He'd been contemplating lunch recently anyway. However, something still stuck in his mind as odd. How had Arata known how far they were from the village? Kakashi hadn't told the Genin the distance still left to travel. Did Arata know the area? Kakashi simply shook his head and added the matter to the pile of questions to be asked later. In the meantime, lunch sounded good, and the thin boy finally seemed to be relaxing as he grinned while treading water. The Genin had been growing visibly tenser throughout the mission, especially since the ferry.

"Fine, we'll stop for lunch, but I don't see how you're going to cook them," conceded the teacher.

"Leave that to me," the boy called before diving under again. A few minutes later, the boy waded ashore, his pockets heavy with the team's future lunch, and his wet clothes clinging to his body. Hurrying over to his pack, Arata began to dig inside before pulling out a large and battered looking cooking pot.

"Sasuke, could you get a fire started for me? Get hardwood, it stains the bottom of the pot less" Arata called over his shoulder. The raven-haired boy nodded and began to collect wood.

The redhead's attention now turned to Naruto, "Naruto, you know plants. There were some yellow flowers growing along the path a couple dozen yards back. Bring me a handful of their stems okay? Oh- and grab some of the light green sprouts next to them. Make sure to get the roots. It's the tubers I want." The Blonde gave a joking salute before hurrying off.

"Is there anything I can do Arata?"

Arata looked up to see Sakura's friendly smile, "Yeah, could you fill this pot with fresh water from that well over there while I change into something dry?"

"Certainly," she replied as Arata turned to grab an extra outfit and make his way into the privacy of the woods.

* * *

Sasuke hissed a rather uncouth oath to himself as he scrapped his leg on yet another thorn. It was getting difficult to move the thorn branches aside while balancing the stack of firewood he had collected. At least he would have enough soon and could head back. His stomach was already grumbling, and from the descriptions Naruto had been babbling about every time the team had broken open another can of prepackaged rations, the new addition was quite the cook. He hoped the blonde was right. The Genin growled as he spotted a patch of brambles in his was, and gave up on the ground, leaping to the branches above. He could snap a few living limbs and be on his way. Spotting a tree of the proper type of wood, he began to leap towards it. 

Arata shivered as he did his best to change quickly. Using an extra shirt, he dried his body, using the friction to warm his limbs as much as dry them. He sneezed and cursed the salt water. It never did his nose any good. Finished, he began to throw dry clothes on.

As Arata finished pulling his pants up in a strange, hopping dance, Sasuke reached the tree he had been aiming for: the one right behind the redhead. Hearing the rustling on the forest floor, Sasuke looked down to see his shirtless teammate. Groaning inwardly, the boy turned to leave before the situation got awkward. He was stopped, however, when he caught sight of Arata's back. Dumbstruck at the sight, the Uchiha could only stare at the patchwork of scars that covered the young man's torso, ignorant of the fact that one of the branches in his arms was slipping.

At the sound of the falling branch, Arata jumped and spun around, snatching a kunai from among his belongings as he turned to face the intruder. His expression changed to a different kind of surprise as he saw his teammate above him. Comprehending what the look on Sasuke's face meant, the former thief dropped the weapon and grabbed his jacket pulling it on as quickly as possible.

Broken from his shocked stare, Sasuke hopped down from his place in the trees to ask for an answer, "Your… Your back-"

"It's nothing," Arata interrupted, turning away to grab his things and hide his reddening face.

Sasuke straightened at the abrupt answer, realizing he'd struck a sore spot, and replied calmly, "Fine then."

"I said it's- wait, what?" replied the confused redhead.

The raven-haired boy shrugged, "We all have stuff we don't talk about. If it's not my business, it's not my business."

Turning to leave, Sasuke called over his shoulder, "Put your shirt on and hurry back, I'm getting hungry."

Arata's eyes followed the boy as he leapt away before he shrugged and smiled a bit at not having to explain himself. He was glad to have a teammate who could let these things drop. The redhead donned the last of his clothes, adjusting his left sleeve once again when finished, and began to return to camp.

* * *

Kakashi had come to the conclusion that either the boy really could cook, or he was damned good at faking it. Arata had spent the past ten minutes huddled over the cooking pot, shooing away anyone who got too close to the fire without orders to be there. While the water had been warming, Arata had used a small pocket knife produced from within his knapsack, a knapsack with surprising capacity considering the number of items he apparently kept in there, and shucked each of the mussels before emptying the contents into the pot and tossing the shell aside with the speed of a dealer dispensing a deck of cards. After the water came to a low boil, in went the chopped flower stems, leaking a creamy sap Arata insisted was for flavor, the freshly washed tubers, which turned out to be wild onions, and a number of other _somethings_ shaken from a myriad of beaten spice shakers lacking any kind of labels also, produced from the miraculous pack. 

After a while, the pot had begun to give off a scent that left all present with drool running down their chins and stomachs growling even louder.

"Just one more thing," Arata insisted.

"What?" asked Tazuna.

"This," the boy answered as he snatched the ever present sake bottle from the bridge-builder's hand. Despite the old man's objections, in went a healthy portion of his bottle, and the soup took on a darker, brown hue.

If the scent had been good before, it became addicting now. Each of the Genin now stood with battered tin rations bowls at the ready. It was indeed a testament to Kakashi's will, therefore, that he kept enough wits about him to hear the whistling of a very large something rushing towards the group. It saved the Genin's lives.

As Kakashi tackled the others to the ground, a massive metallic shape passed the team overhead and impacted violently with a nearby tree. As Team Seven leapt to their feet, they saw a towering, masked man appear on top of the massive blade, now imbedded in the trunk of the tree.

Turning to face the team, a pair of predatory eyes fixed themselves upon the party's leader, "Kakashi… Kakashi Hatake… It's no wonder the Demon Brothers failed. Any Chunin would when facing the famous Copy Nin of Kanoha."

Though the Genin stood shocked at the man's sudden appearance, the Jouniin only arched an eyebrow, "Zabuza Momochi, Gato must be rich indeed to afford you."

"More than you know," replied the man, "But I would have taken the chance to kill a man like you for free. When I still worked in my village's ANBU, we had orders to execute you on sight. Now I just want the bragging rights."

"I'm flattered," countered the teacher, "I think I'll return the complement and make use of this then." At that, Kakashi reached to the headband he always kept over his left eye and pulled it back. Beneath it, a black pupil against a deep red iris quickly shrank at being exposed to the light. A closer inspection revealed a small black border around the pupil with a triangle of black dots circling the center of the eye. A pale scar ran through the center of the eyebrow and down the Jouniin's cheek.

"The Sharingan!" hissed Sasuke, "B-but…"

"What? What's going on?" demanded Naruto.

"Doujutsu Naruto," explained Sakura, "Special techniques afforded by rare Keke Genkai. They're some of the most powerful bloodline powers known. The Sharingan is known for its ability to read and replicate any Jutsu it can see aside from other bloodline traits."

Taking heart at the revelation Naruto readied himself, "Alright then, lets beat this loser and eat." A hand shot out to stop the blonde's advance.

He looked up to see Kakashi holding him back, "No Naruto, this man is beyond any of you. Leave this fight to me and protect the client." The boy frowned at the order but followed the others to form a circle around the bridge-builder, who still stood in stunned silence next to the cooking fire.

"That's right, do as he says boy," Zabuza laughed, "You'll want to die at least knowing you did your best, right?" With that, the man leapt back towards the water, pulling his sword with him, until he made contact with the surface of the ocean… and froze, standing calmly on top of the still waters as if he did it every day. Hands flashing into the proper signs, Zabuza grinned under his mask as he watched the water at his feet turn to mist and begin to spiral up around him. The effect grew larger and spread until the mist ceased to circle around its apparent master and flowed over the area, hanging there like a silver curtain, the assassin gone from their sight.

Shocked by the man's sudden disappearance, the Genin grew tense. The silence, that followed, broken only by the popping embers of the fire and the Genin's own pulses pounding in their ears, only served to rattle their untested nerves. It was one thing to fight, to put to use all of the frustration one feels when in danger and channel it into defense, but to stand there? To wait for death? It was maddening.

"Calm down," cautioned their teacher, "He wants you to get scared and do something stupid. I'm still right here, and as long as I'm alive, he can't hurt you."

The four of them slowed their breathing and tried to regain control of themselves.

"Of course, if I fail, you're all most likely going to die," added Kakashi.

"You're not helping!" shouted Sakura, the fear cracking into her voice.

The Jouniin ignored her and formed a seal. Wind leapt up around him and pushed the mist away from the group.

"Arata," called the teacher over his shoulder, "Sight's out of the question at the moment, so your nose is our best bet. Anything?"

From the corner of his eye, the bridge-builder saw the boy's hood shake and heard his even voice answer, "No. He used salt water in the mist. It ruins my sense of smell. I can't pick him out." Sakura broke composure slightly to look at her teammate. Once again, he'd shown more resolve than she could hope to muster.

"I suppose I lucked out then didn't I?" whispered a voice in the redhead's ear, "Though I should probably kill you first, just to be sure." All five turned suddenly to the one place they hadn't been watching for their attacker: in the middle of them. Head bowed, and sword readied behind his back, Zabuza stood ready to claim the day's pay. In a flash, the group could move again, and each Genin dodged the best they could, Sasuke keeping his wits enough to tackle the old man from harm's way. It didn't matter. Zabuza's blade was already in motion. They were still going to die.

And then the blade stopped. It simply froze in mid-swing, still poised behind the assassin's back. Kakashi had made his move. Faster than any of the Genin had thought possible, their instructor had rushed forward and impaled the man through the stomach with a kunai in one hand while stopping the swing of the blade with the other. Zabuza began to shake, and he let out a gargling moan as his blood began to pool on the ground. But it wasn't blood.

"Water?" asked a disbelieving Naruto.

Like a popped balloon, Zabuza's entire body came apart as it fractured into water droplets and joined the pool already on the ground.

"Water Clone!" hissed Kakashi as the familiar figure of the rogue nin appeared behind the Jouniin.

"A little too slow on the uptake Kakashi," taunted the man as he brought his sword around to strike its target, bisecting the teacher. Horror turned back to confusion, as once again it was water rather than gore that hit the ground. A pinprick against his neck confirmed Zabuza's mistake.

"Actually, I'm a surprisingly fast learner," corrected Kakashi, now standing behind the man and holding a knife to his throat, "You, however, fell for your own trick. Poor form really."

The assassin cursed and spat, "You'd already copied the technique when you were talking, hadn't you? Damn. I should be smarter than that."

"It's a good thing I was," came the same voice from behind the instructor.

For the third time, the puddle grew as another clone dissolved into oblivion. The actual Zabuza now swung his blade in an upward slice aimed at his foe's neck, or it would have been had it still been there. Flinging his head back as fast as he could, Kakashi watched the weapon soar over his nose, catching a brief look at his own shocked expression in the reflection of the massive sword. The momentum of the blade carrying it full circle, the weapon imbedded itself in the ground behind the rogue nin. Unfazed, Zabuza braced his palms against the pommel and pushed off, putting the extra force into a kick that sent Kakashi flying towards the water's edge. Pulling the blade from the ground, Zabuza charged after him to finish the job but halted when he saw the ground littered with spikes.

"Caltrops?" wondered the assassin, "Not good enough." With that, Zabuza leapt over them and into the water.

As Kakashi surfaced, he did his best to find footing on top of the ocean, but couldn't manage to pull himself up.

"This isn't natural," he realized, "I can't move."

"Figured it out yet Kakashi?" chuckled his opponent as he rose from the water next to the Jouniin, already forming the proper symbols. The instructor tried desperately to get away, but the water around him was already rising up to trap him inside the Jutsu.

"Water Prison," informed the assassin, his hand imbedded in the orb, holding it together, "You can struggle all you like, but as long as I keep my hand in the trap, you're out of this fight."

Turning his attention back to the bridge-builder, Zabuza began to gloat, "I don't even need to get my hands dirty to kill an old man and four snot-nosed brats." With a final hand symbol, a third water clone materialized from the ocean and began to slowly approach the team.

Kakashi growled as he realized he had no choice and shouted, "Get out of here! Grab the client and go! His clone can only follow you so far, now run!"

Sakura was beginning to panic. The girl didn't know what to do. She couldn't leave her teacher, but what could she do against that?

As if to answer her, Naruto's voice made itself known in a low growl, "No. I'm not running away."

"I swore…" he continued, absentmindedly rubbing his bandaged hand, "I swore on my own blood that I would never run away again." Suddenly, the blonde was charging forward, brandishing a kunai.

"Big words," commented Zabuza. With a flick of his wrist, the mist returned, halting the Genin in his tracks. Seconds later, the clone burst through the curtain and lifted Naruto off the ground with a knee to the stomach. Flying backwards, Naruto's body sprawled into the dirt in front of the group.

"Empty ones too," laughed the rogue nin as his clone held Naruto's headband up to punctuate his failure.

The mist swirled again, and the clone was gone. A scream was elicited from Sakura's throat as Sasuke was hurled forward by a blow to the back of his head. Leaping after the Genin, the clone brought his flight to an end with a downward elbow that slammed the Uchiha to the ground. Slamming a foot against the same spot on his chest and grinning at the sight of the boy spitting blood, the clone was almost caught unaware by the veritable army that stampeded towards him. Leaping away from the raven-haired boy, the clone brought his sword up to balance across his shoulders and halt the numerous blades the shadow clones wielded against him. Sucking wind, Sasuke scrambled back from the melee and tried to regain his footing. A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and yanked him to his feet. Sasuke looked to see Arata helping him up.

"Get ready," he whispered, "Naruto's planning something. I can tell."

The Uchiha was about to demand an explanation when he heard the clone give off a frustrated grunt from underneath the pile of Narutos and, with strength unnatural to humans, threw the clones off of himself, sending them skidding off in all directions to disappear in puffs of smoke. As the real Naruto was skidding back, somehow wearing his regained headband, he reached into his pack and withdrew a metallic item.

Flinging the prize at Sasuke, the blonde called, "Now!"

Sasuke's hand shot out and caught the oversized shuriken, a smile breaking across the boy's face as he realized the other Genin's plan. With a flick of his wrist, the raven-haired boy extended the blade of the windmill shuriken and hurled the weapon forward. The clone calmly smiled and readied his blade to counter the attack, but his face went pale as the shuriken veered off course and hurtled past him towards it's true target.

Zabuza cursed as he saw the projectile headed his way, realizing the true intent of the attack, and braced himself. His timing would have to be perfect. As the blade came within inches of his face, the rogue nin's free hand flew forward and brought the shuriken's flight a halt. Zabuza had little time to enjoy his triumph however, as he heard the thin whine of another shuriken cutting through the air towards him. Recognizing the technique of hiding one shuriken from view by keeping it in the shadow of another, Zabuza's oaths became more colorful as he pulled his legs up to his chest and watched the weapon soar underneath him. Landing, the assassin prepared to counter when he heard a faint pop behind him. Jerking his head around, he saw the smoke clear from the "shuriken" and Naruto appear. The blonde roared a battle cry as he flung a final Kunai at his target's back.

This was it. Zabuza was out of tricks and out of time. He wouldn't be able to dodge this one. The projectile flew true as it pierced the air and impacted perfectly… with Zabuza's clone. Unlike Zabuza, the clone had been in position to see the second shuriken and had turned to chase after it. It might not have been fast enough to stop the blade, but it had had more than enough time to place itself between the kunai and its master once the deception was revealed. Zabuza might have gloated about the failed plan had he not caught sight of the Genin's face as the clone dissolved in front of him. The blonde was still smiling.

Zabuza felt him before he saw him, or rather he felt the wind that preceded someone moving as fast as he was. The rouge nin turned forward just in time to see the grey blur of Arata come skidding to a halt in front of him as he swung his left fist in blinding hook. A blinding hook Zabuza still managed to dodge as he leaned back from the blow. Almost in slow motion, the assassin watched Arata's outstretched arm soar over his face, watched as the muscles of his fist tightened, watched as the sleeve of the boy's jacket flapped in the wind, watched as his skin sparkled… Skin sparkled? Far too late, the rogue nin's eyes focused on the monofilament wires trailing from the Genin's clenched fist. Following them to their end, he saw the object they were attached to on a collision course with the assassin's face.

As the redhead ducked to allow the projectile a clear shot, Zabuza made his first mistake: He reacted on instinct. Bringing the windmill shuriken in his left hand up to block, all present heard a metallic clang as the cooking pot made contact with the blade. Though the pot was more than adequately stopped, the now boiling contents flowed easily past the blade and onto Zabuza's face.

The rogue nin then made his second mistake: He continued to act on instinct. Screaming at the scalding pain, Zabuza yanked his right hand free from the water prison to grab at his badly burned face. As the orb was collapsing around Kakashi, the assassin forced his eyes open to see the redhead's grinning face in the shadows of his hood. Unfortunately, the final mistake was Arata's: He didn't move in time.

Lashing out with all the rage produced by the humiliating and painful attack, Zabuza let loose with a kick that connected squarely with the Genin's brow. Arata's body flew through the air like a rag doll and collapsed in a heap on the ground nearly twenty feet away.

The triumph in all of the Genin's eyes was immediately replaced with cold dread as they gazed upon the redhead's unmoving body. Sakura screamed the boy's name as she dashed forward to the Genin's limp form and fell to her knees to see if he still breathed. As quickly as he could, Sasuke placed himself between the two and their foe. Naruto thrashed through the water towards Zabuza, unsure of how he would bring the monster down, but knowing he had to.

Though valiant to say the least, the two boys' action would prove unnecessary.

Kakashi was free, and he was far from pleased.

"Arata! Arata!" Sakura pleaded as she cradled his head in her lap, watching his unfocused eyes roll around in their sockets as blood flowed freely down the side of his head from a gash that had been opened up on his forehead, "Please be ok. Stay awake. Stay with us. Please."

Only strange images filtered their way through Arata's mind as he lay there. Images of the two Jouniin as they dueled using the very ocean. Images of beasts made of water clashing and tearing themselves apart against each other, of waves rising up only to cast themselves down again against their targets. Other images started to show as his vision began to blur. An orange figure rushed to his side and seemed to be shouting something. Arata was sure the words meant something important but he couldn't quite seem to make them out. He saw another figure, a blue one, grab the orange one and pull him up. They seemed to argue as the blue one forced the orange one to stand and turn towards the warring ocean. It seemed almost funny to the redhead's addled brain that the two thought they could fight the entire sea. He might have laughed had he not been distracted by those eyes. Those sea foam eyes that kept starring at him with that pleading look in them. Were those tears forming in them? Why? Arata would have asked but he couldn't seem to move his mouth, or any part of his body for that matter. He idly wondered why that was as he became more and more sleepy. Arata decided he would find the answer after a nap. He knew the matter was important, but he was just so tired. So tired. He closed his eyes, not seeing the point in keeping them open, as it seemed the world had decided to go black anyway.

Breathing heavily, Kakashi surveyed the fruits of his labors. Zabuza lay near unconscious against the tree he had been thrown into by the last wave, his body now pinned there by a myriad of shuriken. The Jouniin's eye was burning like it always did when he used it too much. It was good that he was finally finished. He was unsure how much longer he could have kept up with the battle.

Sneering at the assassin's defeated form, Kakashi readied a final blade to finish the man off when he heard a voice from behind him, "Kakashi Sensei!" The Jouniin turned, and his heart nearly stopped when he saw the group of Genin huddled around the body of one of their own. He'd seen Zabuza strike Arata, but he'd been too focused on the rogue nin to follow the boy. The Jouniin hadn't had time to wonder if the redhead was okay. Now he cursed himself as he hurried over and noticed the terrified look in Sakura's eyes.

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"We tried Sensei," Sakura babbled, panic taking hold, "We tried as hard as we could, but we couldn't wake him up. Arata won't wake up!"

* * *

All that time for a cliffhanger? I know. You hate me :P

Well, that took a while didn't it? I apologize for the late story, but life tends to have a louder voice than my writing sometimes. Also, due to the growing length of chapters and growing difficulty of classes, updates may take a bit longer, though no longer than a month if I can help it. This is by no means a sign that the story will be discontinued. I'm having far too much fun for that (something I profusely thank all of you for). Simply put, genious takes time, and for some unrelated reason so do my stories :P. Anywho, the reviews have been great and I'll be thankful for any others I get.

P.S. Please do not attempt to recreate the soup recipe as I don't need unfortunate stomach pumpings on my conscience ;)


	9. The Land of Waves

Disclaimer: I have no right to any of the material mentioned other than my own creations.

**The Land of Waves**

With the setting sun at its back, a figure leapt from branch to branch through the forest. Pausing every now and then, the figure would stop and awkwardly survey the surrounding area, as if to be sure it was not being followed. Awkwardly because the figure had to constantly rearrange the weight, that of a very large man, on the figure's back. The masked young man, apparently finally content with his location, hopped down from the branches and gently slung the older man from off of his shoulders, laying him in a soft patch of grass. Reaching into his robes, the smaller of the two figures withdrew a set of surgical instruments kept in a small fold of cloth and laid them out next to the man's prone body. Silently, the young man started his work as he began to remove the handful of needles protruding from the giant's neck. As the final needle joined the pile, the masked young man readied an alcohol swab and reached to clean the wound. The swab halted in the air as the now conscious man's hand snapped up to roughly grip the wrist of his surgeon.

Bloodshot eyes now open, the giant hissed at his masked companion, "A little close on the needles Haku."

Unflinching, the figure calmly reached up and removed his mask with his free hand, revealing a warmly smiling and oddly feminine face, "I wanted to be sure your death looked convincing Zabuza-sama."

The rogue nin growled his discontent but let the subject drop.  
Letting go of the boy's had, the assassin decided to focus his ire on a different figure, "Kakashi. I'm going to kill him Haku. I _have _to kill him now."

Haku sighed as he began to swab his master's neck, "It's probably the only way we're getting paid at this point anyway."

"Quiet Haku," snapped Zabuza, "Money isn't the point now. Anyone who does that to me dies. Anyone! I'm going to kill him, that old man, and those stupid brats."

The assassin's eyes took on an even darker shade as he continued, "Especially that brat in the hood. There's no way I'm letting him get away with what he did to me."

Haku rolled his eyes at his master's usual temper, knowing there was no point in trying to calm him down. Gently, the boy grabbed hold of Zabuza's mask and pulled it down to get a better look at his burns. The bandages that covered most of the rogue nin's face had done a good job at minimizing the damage, but any exposed flesh was growing more and more red as the burns began to make themselves known. A small blister or two had even started to form on the parts of the man's forehead not covered by his headband. Placing the soup-soaked bandages aside, Haku stuck one of his fingers into his mouth.

After a moment of thought, the boy retrieved a jar of burn cream from his pack and began to apply it as he spoke in the same even voice he always used, "Before you kill the boy, would you mind if I asked him for the recipe for this soup? It's quite good."

"Shut up Haku."

* * *

Kakashi sighed again. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Matters had been going downhill since the mission had begun. First, the Chunin had attacked. Then the scope of the mission had changed from C straight to A-rank. Then he had missed his chance to remove the team's greatest threat. He hadn't killed Zabuza. The Jouniin knew he was alive too. It had only occurred to him later that the hunter-nin had been acting strange, but there was no denying now that the man's death had been a ruse. So now, Kakashi was injured, a Genin team was on an A-rank mission, and with his luck they were still only going to get paid for a C-rank job. Running his hand nervously through his hair, Kakashi had to admit that he was just trying to get his mind off of the worst of the problems. Arata still hadn't woken up. 

His mind went back to the night before last when he had carried Arata's still limp form through the doorway of the bridge-builder's home.

* * *

A dark blue haired woman rushed to the door to greet her father and halted, gasping at the sight of a large man carrying the unconscious body of a child. Tazuna stepped through the door and past the silver-haired man and put his hand on the woman's shoulder, shaking her from her shock as he explained who the people with him were. Quickly, the two cleared the kitchen table and laid the boy out. The woman, who would later introduce herself as Tsunami, then began to heat water to clean whatever wounds were hidden under the blood-soaked bandages wrapped around the redhead's forehead as Tazuna fumbled inside a cupboard for a first aid kit. Tsunami almost jumped again when she had turned back to find three other children standing wordlessly next to the table. She realized that they must have followed the grey-haired ninja in without making a sound. It didn't take much thought for her to put together their common headbands and the children's pale faces. They were the boy's teammates. 

Rushing to the stairs, Tsunami called out, "Inari, come down here. Hurry."

A small, sleepy-eyed boy stumbled down the stairs and was quickly woken up by the sight in front of him.

"What's happening?" he asked, fear making its way into his eyes.

Tsunami turned the boy's face to force him to look her in the eye, "No time Inari. We need your help. You need to go out and find Doctor Chuuko, alright? Tell him it's an emergency. Hurry up."

The silver haired man looked up from the unconscious Genin and got the attention of the blonde boy, "Naruto, I want you to go with him. The boy shouldn't be alone at night."

"Naruto!" he called again, snapping the Genin from his thoughts, "Go!"

"But Sensei-"

"Go!"

Giving up on the argument, the blonde hurried after the boy out the back door.

"What can we do Sensei?"

The Jouniin turned to the voice's owner and answered, "I'm sorry Sakura, but it's best if we wait for the doctor."

"But," the girl argued, tears beginning to show in her eyes, "But I need to help. I didn't help before. I didn't do anything. I-I just stood there. I could have… I should have…" The girl began to hiccup as tears rolled down her cheeks. She stopped however when she felt her hand being squeezed. Turning, the girl saw Sasuke holding her hand.

"Come on Sakura," the boy said, "We're only in the way here."

Though she had dreamed of something like this half her life, the girl could only numbly follow the boy as he led her to the living room and sat her down on the couch where she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Awkwardly, Sasuke let the girl lean against his shoulder as he sat next to her and folded his hands, simply staring at his knuckles.

Twenty minutes later, Inari returned with Naruto and an ancient looking man in tow.

"Tsunami," the man called, "Care to explain why my wife and I were just woken up by this young man and Inari."

"In here Doctor Chuuko," the woman replied.

Those in the kitchen heard the man's shuffling feet, punctuated by the click of a cane as he made his way into the room. The doctor's eyes widened when he entered the kitchen to see the unconscious form of Arata on the table.

"Good lord Tsunami!" the old man gasped, "What happened here?"

"A fight," answered Kakashi, "A bad one. He took a blow to the head. Now are you going to do your job or gawk?"

Chuuko might have been ruffled by the insult, but he was too busy getting to work. Rushing over, his cane tapping the hard wood at a rapid pace, the man took his medical bag from under his arm and placed it aside before beginning to gently feel different parts of the boy's torso, checking his pulse, neck, and chest. Slipping a small flashlight from his kit, the man pulled the boy's eyelids back, checking each eye carefully, his tongue ticking in distaste before he mumbled something about "dilation". With the careful speed afforded by years of experience, he peeled back the bandages on the redhead's forehead, grimacing at what he saw.

"What the hell were you thinking waiting this long to see a doctor? You're lucky there's no infection," he demanded.

"The attack happened out on the roads. It took us a few hours to get here," replied Kakashi.

"A few hours?" asked the doctor, confusion written on his face, "This wound's had a day to heal at least. Look at the scabbing."

"I think I'd know when we were attacked doctor," growled the Jouniin, not particularly caring about scabs when one of his students was unconscious in front of him.

"Fine then," conceded Chuuko, "just let me get a better look at him." Placing his palms on Arata's temples he closed his eyes as his hands began to glow.

"Chakra," Kakashi realized to himself, "Full of surprises aren't we doctor?"

Opening his eyes, the doctor spoke again, "He has a concussion, but it shouldn't be anything serious. His neck is sprained, and so is his shoulder. A few days and he should be fine."

The Jouniin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Still though," the man continued, readying an alcohol swab and cleaning the gash as he spoke, "Concussions can be unpredictable. I'll check on the lad once a day for signs of his condition getting worse. I want you to call me at any bad signs: irregular breathing, fever, anything else that raises an eyebrow. The only time we should really worry is if he doesn't wake up in a day or two. In the mean time, I'm going to clean this wound and do what I can for the other collateral damage. After that, I want him kept somewhere quiet, warm, and dry, and I want his head kept elevated. I want his bandages replaced daily as well."

The doctor finished the rest of his work in a silence that was only interrupted by his orders for bandages, cleaning rags, and whatever else he needed. At the same time, Kakashi limped into the other room, his own wounds finally starting to take their toll, to explain the details to a very relieved Team Seven.

After the doctor finished, Kakashi and Tazuna carried Arata upstairs and laid him in bed. When the Jouniin came back down, Doctor Chuuko motioned him over. Before Kakashi could ask what he wanted, the doctor's hand shot out and grabbed him by the chin, turning the instructor's right cheek towards the old man. Kakashi's eye was forced closed at the sudden beam of the flashlight, but was yanked open again by the old man's thumb.

"Hold still," the doctor snapped at the Jouniin's objections, "That boy's not my only patient."

The old man had Kakashi sit as he began to go over his wounds, only slowing down long enough for the Jouniin to refuse the old man a look at his left eye.

Grumbling his frustration, the instructor complained, "This isn't necessary. I can handle my own- Aghhhh!" The Jouniin yelped as Doctor Chuuko rapped the bottom of his cane against the man's ankle.

"Really?" the doctor rebuked, "Can you properly treat a hairline fracture, because I'm pretty sure that ankle has one."

"What kind of doctor are you?" Kakashi asked before yelling again as his ankle came in contact once more with the cane.

"The kind that has no patience for stupid bravado from a wounded shinobi," answered the old man as he produced the proper materials to treat the Jouniin.

After seeing to Kakashi, Chuuko insisted on giving the other Genin a once over before making ready to leave.

"Tsunami," the doctor said, a tired but gentle smile on his face, "I assume these individuals are here for Tazuna's benefit."

"What?" Tsunami managed with her sleep deprived mind, "Oh, yes."

"Fine then," said the doctor, "In that case, you needn't worry about a bill."

Before Tsunami could say anything, the doctor was out the door, grumbling over his shoulder about the foolishness of young Ninja's.

* * *

That had been a day and a half ago. Now, Arata was still lying in the small foldout bed, the covers drawn to his chin, the sheets rising and falling with each breath. Despite the doctor finding no signs of a worsening condition, the boy still had yet to even stir. The old man had managed a small IV of fluids the day before, but otherwise, the Genin had had no nourishment to speak of. Kakashi knew they might have to get him to real care soon, and he had no idea how to do so and keep a low profile. Four heavily armed ninja couldn't simply carry a fifth into a local hospital without raising a few eyebrows. 

As Kakashi sat on the front porch, he wondered what the rest of his team was up to. They had each seemed to find their own practice to bury themselves in. Naruto had taken to running trips into town every time anyone in the group needed anything, spending any other free time training or guarding the work site. Sasuke had devoted most of his time to much the same, a brooding silence about him that didn't seem to want to lift. Sakura, however, had been the strangest. Almost any free time she was awake, the girl was training herself. Apparently, she had taken her inaction during the attack poorly and was determined to make up for it. The boys had taken to avoiding her, as every time she saw them, she demanded a sparing partner. Normally, Naruto would have leapt at the chance to spend time with the girl, but his growing collection of bruises was beginning to put a damper on his affections. Any other time, Sakura spent at Arata's bedside, having taken his care on as a personal responsibility. Kakashi himself was beginning to become worried for the girl. He knew she had potential and had hoped she would eventually focus herself, but this wasn't what he wanted. She was doing this because she was mad at herself, not for improvement.

The Jouniin knew he had to get his team on a training schedule soon, but he wanted Arata awake for it. Maybe not involved, but he didn't want the rest distracted by his condition.

Kakashi growled his frustration at no one in particular. He was pissed at the world in general and couldn't seem to calm down. He idly wondered if Asuma smoked because of situations like these.

The Jouniin was halfway considering sending Naruto out for a pack of cigarettes to find out when he heard a voice call for him, "Sensei! Kakashi Sensei! He's waking up, hurry!" The instructor immediately threw his thoughts to the wind and hobbled as fast as he could up the stairs, trailing a number of clopping noises with his crutch as he went. Hurrying into Arata's room, Kakashi found Sakura kneeling by the boy's bed as his body began to stir and groan.

The first thing Arata saw as he woke up was the last thing he'd seen before falling asleep: a pair of eyes. Sea foam stared into emerald as his pupils shrank in the new light.

"Arata?" the eyes said, "Arata? Can you hear me? Can you speak?"

Arata found the question rather silly. Of course he could speak. Judging by the empty feeling in his stomach, the boy could eat too; a lot.

"Ummph gryyy," the redhead mumbled.

"What?" asked the eyes.

"I said I'm hungry Sakura," replied the Genin.

All Sakura could manage was, "Good," as she crushed the boy in a hug.

It occurred to Arata that not only was he hungry, but his head hurt too. As did his shoulders thanks to the bone-crushing embrace he was now in. Kakashi thankfully noticed the shade of blue the boy's face was adopting and gently pulled a blushing Sakura off of the redhead.

"Why don't you go downstairs and have Tsunami make him some lunch Sakura?" suggested the teacher, "Run out with Inari to get the doctor too." Reluctantly, the girl rushed off to do as she was told, leaving Arata alone with his Sensei. Awkwardly, the Genin wiggled his way out of the tight covers and managed to sit up despite Kakashi's objections, insisting he'd be fine. After attempting to speak again and his voice giving out, the boy happily accepted a flask of water from his instructor and emptied it.

"So," Arata eventually said after wiping his mouth, "I assume we're all in one piece."

Seeing Kakashi nod, the boy asked, "In that case, just out of curiosity, where am I?"

"The bridge-builder's home," answered the Jouniin, "Downstairs is his daughter Tsunami and grandson Inari. We've been here since the night before last."

The redhead's eyes widened, "How long have I been out?"

"Nearly two days now," was the answer.

"Wow… no wonder I'm hungry," Arata reflected.

Kakashi grinned behind his mask at the boy's usual strange demeanor, "You don't take much seriously do you?"

The Genin smirked and shrugged, "Not if I can help it." Raising a hand to grasp his aching head, the redhead stopped as he noticed something off. A slight panic entered his eye as he stared at his bare left arm.

"Looking for your knife?" asked Kakashi as he produced the blade from a pouch on his side. The same night as the events with the doctor, Kakashi had cleared the room so that he could get Arata into some clean clothes. Removing the boy's jacket, the Jouniin had found it. Lashed to his arm, almost invisible under the baggy sleeve of his jacket, was a sheath containing a large dagger. Though the sheathe was thoroughly worn, judging by the hilt, the blade was clearly kept in impeccable condition. Kakashi had been looking after the blade ever since.

Hesitantly, Arata took the weapon and placed it in his pack, eyeing Kakashi, waiting for the inevitable questions. It never came.

"Take care of that," cautioned the Jouniin, "A knife like that is worth quite a lot."

"Thanks," the boy mumbled awkwardly, "I will."

Shifting uneasily in the silence, the boy finally said, "It was a gift… From a friend."

"Really?" Kakashi replied, his ever-casual tone present, "I always thought a specialty combat dagger was great for gift occasions, but you try telling that to my last girlfriend on our anniversary."

Kakashi grinned inwardly when his comments got the boy to smile again, "What did she want? Jewelry? You can't fight a mugger with a bracelet."

"That's what I said," chuckled the Jouniin, keeping the joke going, "But out of curiosity, where's the other knife? A design like that usually comes in pairs."

"Oh, she kept it," Arata answered, the tension gone from his frame, "Said it would keep us close or something."

A realization struck Kakashi and a strange look crept into his eye as he spoke again, "Oooooohhh. It was _that_ kind of gift."

Confusion crossing his features, Arata asked, "What kind?"

A sly grin made itself known under the Jouniin's mask as he dramatically put a hand on the Genin's shoulder, "Don't worry Arata. I'm sure you'll see her again some day. We adults know that romance is a mysterious force."

The boy's face flushed crimson as he stuttered, "N-no! It's not like that! We were just friends!"

Kakashi wasn't about to let go of a chance for this much fun that easily, "Isn't that how it always starts?"

Arata's face somehow invented a deeper shade of red to turn as he nearly shouted, "Shut up! This isn't one of your books!"

"Of course not," agreed the Jouniin, folding his arms, "That doesn't happen till the third date, and you're far too young for that anyway. What kind of mind do you have Arata?" Inside, Kakashi was roaring with laughter as he watched the flustered Genin. It was easy to look at Arata's usual quiet nature and forget his age, but now his true age was shining through. Kakashi wondered idly how long he could keep this conversation going. The instructor had yet to get the boy to be this upfront, and he wanted the kid to get used to it.

"What books?" asked another voice entirely.

The two immediately looked up to see a smiling blue haired woman standing in the doorway with a tray laden with food.

"Oh nothing Tsunami," answered the Jouniin, "I was just giving Arata here some special advice." At the last words, the Genin's instructor gave the boy an exaggerated wink as Arata struggled not to slug him.

"Well anyway, I thought you might be hungry after two day's without food," continued Tsunami, a suspicious eye pointed in Kakashi's direction, "Arata right? You're lucky. I was just making lunch."

Happily, the boy accepted the tray and began to dig in. Smiling at the redhead's appetite, the woman excused herself to find the boy's teammates. Slowing his pace, Arata chewed his current bite thoughtfully before reaching into his pack and retrieving a spice bottle. After a quick sprinkling of _something_ the boy began to eat again, grinning his approval.

"You do know it's in poor taste to do that, right?" cautioned Kakashi.

The redhead scratched his head, "Sorry, nervous habit."

"Do you even know what's in those bottles?" sighed the teacher.

Arata thought for a moment before answering, "Name? No. Taste? Yes."

"You know, your wife isn't going to appreciate it if you correct her cooking," insisted Kakashi, "Considering she already knows how to use a knife, I'd be careful."

"I told you. She's not my girlfriend!" Arata snapped, his face growing scarlet once again.

"Girlfriend? What girlfriend? Lad, if that's why you've been unconscious the past few days, you should really consider dating other people."

Once again, a new figure entered the room, this time in the form of Doctor Chuuko.

Rising to greet him, Kakashi commented, "I think we can all agree a woman would have done worse to him Doctor."

With a crack and a yelp, the doctor's cane once again became the Jouniin's worst enemy, "And I thought you agreed to stay off that ankle. Now get out. I need to work." After Kakashi hobbled out, favoring his leg a great deal more, the doctor tossed his kit on the floor and eased himself down next to Arata's bed.

"You going to give me trouble too?" the man asked with narrowed eyes. The redhead quickly shook his head no.

"Good," the doctor said with sudden friendliness, his beard bobbing as he spoke, "Now lay down. You shouldn't be sitting up in the first place, or eating for that matter. I want a good look at you before you do anything." Staring longingly at his lunch Arata set it aside and laid back.

As he checked the boy's pulse, the doctor spoke, "You scared of doctors boy? Your heart rate is up."

"I'm not fond of them," replied the redhead, "No offense."

Chuckling the old man said, "It never ceases to amaze me how ninja can go about getting stabbed, pummeled, and kicked in the head and still be afraid of a doctor. Regardless, we kept it down while you slept, but I want your arm in a sling. I don't even know how you were using it to eat just now. Your neck okay lad?"

"Yeah, fine," answered Arata, "Why though? What's wrong with my arm?"

Chuuko looked at him puzzled, "You mean you don't feel it? You sprained your neck and shoulder in the fall."

The Genin's face mirrored the old man's confusion, "I don't feel a thing. All I have is a headache."

"Hmmm. Hold still," the doctor said as he reached forward and began to inspect the boy's neck and shoulder. Repeatedly, the man would find a different muscle to squeeze, asking if it hurt, and each time the boy would answer no. Arata then moved his arm and head in whatever direction the man asked and the same results were reached.

Mumbling to himself, the doctor decided to move on, checking the Genin's eyes once again before reaching up and removing the bandage across the boy's forehead.

"I'll be…" muttered Chuuko before looking the boy in the eye, "I'd ask what they've been feeding you, but I know for a fact that that was your first meal since the accident and I doubt Tsunami's cooking is quite that good."

"What?" asked an understandably confused Arata.

"There's nothing there boy," responded the doctor, burying his fingers to the knuckle in his ashen beard as he scratched his chin, "No cut, no scab, no scar even. Nothing." The doctor had thought the wound was healing fast the other morning when he had last changed the bandage, but had simply chalked it up to his own work. Now though, the cut was simply gone.

The redhead shrugged, "So I'm a fast healer."

"Boy, there's fast and there's unnatural," countered Chuuko as he pulled Arata's head closer, "What clan are you from lad?"

"I'm not," was the answer as the boy pulled away.

Noticing the nervous tint in the boy's eye, the old man sighed, "Well, I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Let me get a last look in your head and you can get back to your lunch." With that, the old man placed his palms once again against the boy's temples, and a slight glow radiated from the points of contact.

Smiling softly the doctor said, "Good, no bruising on the neural tissues. Well, in that case, finish your lunch and get back to bed."

"What?" the boy objected.

Chuuko scowled at the response, "I don't care if you can grow an arm back boy, I'm not taking chances with a concussion. It's obvious that whatever your body is doing, it's putting stress on your system, possibly screwing with your metabolism. You're not going anywhere for at least a day. Now do as I say, or my cane is going to give you a bruise to replace that cut."

Arata grumbled to himself until he saw the man reaching for his cane and promptly ceased his complaints. Carefully, the old man pulled himself up, stopping only to threaten the redhead when he tried to help. With a few parting words and an order to finish his lunch or else, the old man was gone down the stairs and out of the house.

A few minutes later, Sakura returned for Arata's tray smiling at the boy's newfound consciousness, "The doctor told us to let you rest, so I'll just be on my way. He said the best thing for you right now is some peace and quiet."

As if on cue, the exact opposite immediately charged up the stairs and into the room.

"Arata!" shouted Naruto as he burst through the door, "You're awake!"

Naruto might have had more to say, but he was promptly silenced by Sakura's fist to the back of his head.

"And you're loud," growled the Kunoichi, "You're leaving too. The doctor says he needs his rest."

The blonde wasn't about to go quietly, "Come on, I just want to talk for a minute."

"Later Naruto, the last thing Arata needs is a lot of people around, keeping him awake," Sakura insisted.

Fate seemed at that moment to hate to leave a job half done as Sasuke calmly sidestepped the pair and entered the room, "Hey, looks like you finally got off your lazy butt and woke up."

Arata grinned at the greeting and replied, "Yeah well, a coma seemed like a good idea at first, but I really need to bring a book next time."

Sasuke gave a rare smirk at the answer, "Nice to see something as minor as a life threatening injury hasn't put a damper on your sense of humor."

"Nice to see you have one," came the response.

"Sasuke-kun," came Sakura's voice, "the doctor said Arata needs his rest."

"Why didn't you hit him?" Naruto demanded.

A second cuffing across the skull preceded the answer, "Because Sasuke didn't nearly break down the door, now all three of us are leaving."

Grumbling, the blonde was dragged out of the room by his female teammate with Sasuke following, leaving Arata alone in the room. Chuckling, the redhead laid back to nap off the meal. It wasn't until twenty minutes later, his eyes still wide open and staring at the ceiling, that the boy realized that that wouldn't be an option. After trying desperately to keep his eyes shut, Arata finally recognized the problem. It was too quiet. This was particularly odd to the boy, as he usually preferred quiet. He could sleep in noise. One had to be able to if they wanted to catch any shuteye at most bars, but he usually found himself most comfortable in a quiet place, out of the way of most people. Now however, the silence seemed almost deafening. It was a rather odd realization for the boy to take in that he had actually grown accustomed to his teammates. He was used to Sakura's fawning over Sasuke. It was natural to hear Naruto and Sasuke's arguments in the background. With a brief smirk, Arata even had to admit that the blonde's snores would actually be welcomed at the moment. The Genin was perplexed by the idea. He felt almost off balance due to the change. Sighing, he saw the irony that the last thing he would be getting any time soon was rest.

"Oh, to hell with this," the boy decided as he pushed back the covers and made his way to the window.

* * *

"Arata, Tsunami made you a snack," called Kakashi's voice as he eased open the door. The Jouniin was immediately stopped in his tracks by the sight of an empty bed and an open window. The grown man whimpered slightly at the beating he somehow knew was headed his leg's way.

* * *

"_Hungry? You look it. You also look dirty; cold too. You're no looker either, but I'll settle for fixing three out of four. Huh? It's food kid, what are you afraid of?... There we go. Would ya look at you. I think you're the first person I've met who can tolerate my cooking, 'course I'll bet the whole starvation thing helps. Come on, let's get you inside."_

"_What do I even call you, huh?... It would help if you talked you know. It would probably help if you stopped jumping whenever I spoke too. __**Sigh**__. Alright then, I'll decide. How aboooouuuuuuut…"_

"Arata... Arata?"

Snapping from his thoughts, the boy turned to see Sakura standing behind him.

"Sorry," the boy said, "I was somewhere else. Pull up a seat." At that, Arata patted the grass next to him.

Frowning at the boy, Sakura admonished, "You're supposed to be in bed."

"I feel fine," countered the redhead turning back to stare out over the river from his place on the bank, "I wasn't getting any sleep there anyway. Now sit down." Still upset with her teammate, Sakura gave up and settled down beside him.

"Where are Sasuke and Naruto?" the boy asked.

"Training," came the answer, "Kakashi Sensei put all of us on a new regiment. I finished early and decided to help find you when Sensei told me you'd gone missing."

"Oh," was the redhead's only reply as he continued to find the crystal bubbles of the river fascinating.

After a time, Sakura spoke again, "You've been there a lot lately haven't you?"

"What?"

"Somewhere else," explained the kunoichi, "You've been distracted the entire mission. What's up?"

"Nothing really," shrugged the boy, "Just… thoughts."

"You've been here before haven't you?" the girl asked out of the blue.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?" Arata replied.

"You've been to the Land of Waves before haven't you?" the girl insisted, eyes widening with anticipation, "It's the way you talk about the land. You knew how far we had to go to get to town because you've been here. Am I right?"

With a mock sigh of defeat, the boy answered, "Guess there's a reason you're the smart one. Alright, yeah. I've been here before. A long time ago. I guess I've just been thinking about it."

Blushing slightly from the compliment, the girl cautiously continued to push, "Are you… Are you from the land of waves Arata?"

Shaking his head, Arata said, "No, I've just passed through a time or two. It's not a bad place to keep your head down when you need too. To tell the truth, I'm not really from anywhere."

A silence fell over the two as the statement hung in the air until Sakura spoke again, "Well not anymore."

Confusion crossing his features, Arata turned to see the girl's smiling face, "You're from Kanoha now. From now on, you _are_ from somewhere."

The meaning of the statement dawned on the boy, and a smile crept across his face.

He found he rather liked the idea, "Thanks Sakura."

"No problem."

A more comfortable silence set in as the two took to watching the river follow its lazy path.

Finally, the girl spoke again, "How do you do it Arata?"

"We're going to have to work on making your questions more specific," commented the Genin.

"Not be afraid I mean," Sakura clarified, "Back there, with that man. He was going to kill us Arata. I could barely move, but you hardly batted an eyelash. How do you do that? How do you not be afraid? I need to learn." The redhead was about to laugh, but he looked at the girl and, seeing the guilt etched on her face, realized she wasn't joking.

"Umm," he began, "What the heck makes you think I wasn't afraid?"

It was the girl's turn to be confused, "What do you mean?"

"Sakura," Arata continued, holding back a chuckle, "I was in a fight where the toughest one among us was just taken out by a guy twice my size with a blade that could compensate for an entire nation's manhood. I was terrified."

"But you didn't look like it," the girl pointed out.

"Of course I didn't. Why would I?" said Arata as if it made perfect sense. Seeing the girl's bewilderment growing, the boy began to understand.

"Sakura, how did you learn to fight?" asked the redhead.

"Hmm?" the girl responded, "Sparring I suppose."

"Right," the boy continued, "You sparred with people you knew. You had nothing to worry about if you lost. I learned to fight in bars against guys who might not stop punching when they won. I found that the best way to avoid a rather painful trip to the barroom floor was to bluff. Even most drunks are smart enough to be cautious if some young punk doesn't look like he's afraid of you, mostly because he probably has an ace in his back pocket, or a switchblade, both are surprisingly useful in a pinch. It's a good way to stop a fight before it begins. Everyone feels fear Sakura, but only an idiot lets their opponent use it against them."

Arata's eyes grew serious as he spoke once more, "Never let anyone control you like that Sakura. When they do, they _own_ you."

Sakura thought on the boy's words, their meaning sinking in before she smirked as she spoke again, "So what about when you couldn't bluff them?"

Matching her expression, the boy replied, "That's when a swift knee to the groin and a head start out the door do wonders."

Stifling a laugh, the kunoichi said, "Sometimes running away isn't an option Arata. Come on, dinner is starting soon."

Staring after the girl as she began to jog back to the house, the redhead shuttered as a dark thought struck him.

"When the time comes," he thought to himself, "Running away may be the only option I have." Shaking his head, the boy cast the thought to the wind and followed after the girl.

* * *

Arata yawned as he stepped out the back door of the house for some fresh air and gave a muffled belch. The boy was stuffed from a delicious dinner, thoroughly improved by the Genin's last minute adjustments at the behest of Tsunami who had apparently overheard details on the boy's skills from one conversation or another. Now, according to Tsunami and the praise of Team Seven, the boy wasn't allowed to _not _help. The redhead might have been happier with the compliments if he didn't have the nagging feeling that Kakashi would be using the cooking as a roundabout way of keeping the boy indoors. The instructor apparently hadn't taken his afternoon disappearance very well. The redhead chuckled at the memory of the flustered lecture he had received while the Jouniin rubbed his aching leg, a product of Doctor Chuuko's afternoon visit and subsequent discovery of the boy's escape. Arata unconsciously scratched his chin as he thought about the matter. He wasn't used to having to let people know where he was. He came to the conclusion that this day had been full of new ideas. 

The cool night air felt good as a breeze flowed over him and caressed his cheeks, but the redhead still pulled his hood up against the encroaching chill. Idly, he reached inside his jacket and felt around for one of the many pockets he had taken to sewing into his jacket in his free time. It was going to take a while for his current garment to rival the pockets in his old jacket, but Arata was patient, and he never seemed to have enough pockets anyway, a drawback from years of carrying most of one's worldly possessions on one's back.

Finally, the boy withdrew a toothpick and began to lazily pick his teeth.

"Oy, Arata, nice night huh?"

The redhead turned to see his teammate and smiled at the blonde, offering him a second pick, which the boy took and put to use on the remnants of his own meal.

Quietly, the two stood at the edge of the halo of light that surrounded the home at night, basking in the afterglow of a large, warm meal.

"So," began the redhead, "How's the training going. I noticed you had trouble just getting back into the house."

The blonde grinned at the comment, "Pretty good actually. It seemed stupid at first, but I'm starting to get into it. I never knew I could get this kind of workout from climbing a tree."

Naruto noticed his teammate's raised eyebrow and said, "You'll see in a few days when Sensei okays it."

"You think I'm waiting that long?" smirked the Genin.

Rubbing the back of his head, the blonde cautioned, "I don't know. You should probably take it easy."

The redhead waved the warning off, "I'm fine. The worst I need to worry about is dying of boredom. Besides, we need all the help we can get when that psycho comes back."

Naruto grimaced at the reminder of Zabuza's survival. Arata had learned himself during Kakashi's lecture when the Jouniin had cautioned him against traveling alone lest the rogue nin come looking for revenge. It had been a bitter pill to swallow that not only was Zabuza alive, but he most likely had an ally in the false hunter nin.

The blonde shrugged the thought off and tried to keep the mood positive, "Don't worry, we'll take this guy. We beat him once, and we can beat him again."

Arata grinned at the boy's bravado. The blonde had a way of reassuring those around him. He wasn't about to admit it, but his teammate's repeated charges against the giant had been part of what had steeled Arata's nerves in the fight against Zabuza.

The smile was removed, however, when he heard a snort of derision from behind the pair. Standing in the doorway was a young boy carrying a water jug under his arm. The edge of a mop of black hair was visible from under the rim of his canvas hat, and a sneer was painted across his face. Without a word, the boy walked past the two and began to fill the jug at the water pump near the house.

Arata watched Inari as he filled the jug, already having been introduced to the cold natured boy over dinner, but gave no other reaction to the lad's presence. Grunting, the child began to heave the jug back inside.

Arata was about to go back to picking his teeth when Inari stopped and called over his shoulder, "It's pointless you know."

"Not really," responded the redhead, his voice slightly distorted as he reached into the back of his mouth with his pick, "We only had fish and rice. Now popcorn, _that's_ hard to get out of your teeth."

"That's not what I meant," growled the boy, "Your fight, it's pointless."

"I like to think we're a little tougher than that," continued Arata, the same aloof tone in his voice.

"I don't care," snapped the boy, "Even if you win that fight, Gato's still going to win in the long run. You can play at being heroes all you like, but in the real world, there aren't any. Guys like Gato win, and the rest of us loose. Trying to fight that is just stupid."

"Inari," Naruto began, trying to speak gently to the boy, "That's not true. Kaiza wouldn't want you saying that."

"Shut up!" the boy shouted, "You don't know what you're talking about. You and your friends come from some rich Ninja village and think you can act the hero for us poor slobs? Well welcome to the real world. There are no heroes, and even when some people try to act like them, they figure out the truth real fast!"

The boy's eyes grew downcast as he added, "Or they die."

Naruto wasn't about to take that kind of abuse, "Damn it you brat! You don't know Arata or me. If you knew half of what we've been through-." The Genin stopped when he saw a hand fly up to silence him.

"Leave it," said the redhead, his tone clipped, "Like he said, there's no point. Why waste breath on a fool?"

His face turning red at the insult, Inari spat back, "We don't need you here!"

"I'm not here for you," came the reply, "I'm here for your grandfather and for a paycheck. The paycheck because I like to eat and your grandfather because he's the only one in this country who seems to have a spine."

Arata's newfound glare glowered out from under his hood as he spoke, the menace in his voice leaving no room for argument, "I'm all for helping people, but I'm not wasting my time on cowards who won't even try to help themselves, so you and the rest of this country can go jump off your precious bridge for all I care." The young boy tried to growl a response, but tears began to shine in his eyes, and the child ended up simply turning with a huff and hurrying back into the house.

As the door slammed behind him, Naruto turned on Arata, "What the hell was that?"

"The truth?" came the simple reply.

"That's not funny!" the blonde shot back, "You don't know what that boy's had to deal with! A man named Kaiza used to live here. He was the only one who stood up to Gato, and he was killed for it, right in the middle of town."

Naruto's volume began to level, his voice taking on a more depressed tone, "He was also the closest thing Inari had to a dad. When he lost him… I guess it just broke him. You just… you have to look at it from his perspective."

"I have Naruto," Arata's thin voice responded from under his hood. The blonde stared in confusion at first before he reached a disturbing conclusion.

Hesitantly, the boy asked, "Arata? Did Gato kill your-"

"No, no," the redhead broke in, calming the boy down, "But like I said, I've seen how Gato operates, lived in the same kind of place as this and worse. It takes a special kind of scumbag to be compared to a disease, and he's earned it. I also know what it's like to see the so-called benevolent noble class come to said neighborhoods and lecture the lot of us from down their noses about how they want to help us better ourselves before opening a soup kitchen and scurrying back to their mansions. I know how it can piss you off."

Arata's words were bitter, clearly tinted with past experience, "What's worse is seeing the few who actually want to help fail."

Naruto grimaced at the words, taking them in before saying, "Then why the cold shoulder to Inari? I thought you understood him."

"I understand a lot about the situation," corrected Arata, "I've known people like Inari, people who've lost loved ones because they got in Gato's way. You've seen it yourself. The story's the same whenever Gato decides to make an example of someone. He and a handful of thugs kill them in front of a crowd of hundreds while every person in that crowd, that massive crowd, wonders why someone won't do something."

Grinding his toothpick between his teeth, Arata muttered darkly, "It only takes hearing a story like that a few times before you loose a lot of pity for people content to wait for a hero to save them, or worse, those that just don't care anymore. I know he's just a kid with a messed up view of the world Naruto, but I see that same kind of person forming in him and I can't stand it."

Naruto stared at his teammate, who now found something very interesting on the ground to poke at with his foot, and thought before finally saying, "You've tried to stand up to guys like Gato before haven't you?"

Arata scratched at his head through his hood and avoided the blonde's eyes, "I just steal stuff Naruto, I never played Robin Hood."

"To quote you, "Bull!"," was the Genin's response, "You don't sound bitter like that because you've "heard stories"."

The blonde sighed as he tried to put together his next few words, words he'd been thinking about for years, "I know, Arata, what it's like to get screwed over in life. You aren't the only one who's taught himself to look like he doesn't give a crap when people look at him like scum. It sucks to try your hardest to change things, earn respect, or just get treated like a freakin' person and fail anyway, but I refuse to just give up.

Now Naruto forced his teammate to make eye contact, "I know you do too. No one who can make themselves as strong as you have would just stop trying. We _can _change things. We just need to get Inari to believe us, so quit getting pissed and actually do something."

Arata looked at the blonde in an almost stunned silence before saying, "Four weeks strait I've been around you, and you choose now to start being lucid?"

Naruto laughed and crossed his arms behind his head, "I know right? Awesome timing. I just wish Sakura had heard that. Come on, all this talk has me hungry again. Do you think you can fix me a snack?"

With a mock sigh, Arata realized the blonde he was so very used to had returned, "Fine, but I'm not fixing ramen, I'm sick of fixing that."

"Oh, come on!"

"Nope, your getting left-overs."

With a moan of frustration, the blonde started towards the house.

"Oy, Naruto," came the redhead's voice from behind, "About what you said. You know, about me trying to change things."

Without even turning around, Naruto unfolded one of his arms and waved the comment off, "I'm sure it's a cool story, but I'm starved. You can tell me later if you want."

Arata stared after the boy. He wondered if he'd ever figure these people out. Chuckling, he had to admit that he was willing to take his time. Hurrying after the blonde, he decided that he had at least earned a small side of ramen with his snack. Arata hoped the stove was still warm.

* * *

Eyes of ice with intentions to match watched the door shut behind the redhead. The eyes rolled inside their sockets. That conversation had been a waste of time. There hadn't been any useful information at all. Instead, he'd had to listen to two prepubescent brats squeak out their philosophies on life. He lazily wondered if their voices would crack as much when they screamed. The eyes squinted slightly as their owner smiled at the thought that he would find out tomorrow. The eyes flickered as they blinked against the wind before disappearing all together into the night.

* * *

I think Kakashi's afraid of doctors too now... As always, you the audience have my thanks for reviews and just reading in the first place. I'm listening, and I'll try to address any advice given. Also, I'm no doctor, so please ignore any glaring flaws in my medical "science". 


	10. Eyes of Midnight

* * *

Note from the author: Wow. Look at that. A new chapter. Okay, due to finals, moving, family business (10 people in one house. I'm lucky to stand before you today a physically whole man, my spirit long ago shattered/sold for funnel cake with extra sugar), and the ballooning length of this chapter (roughly twice that of the last), it has been just a tad bit of a while sense I have updated. Hopefully the pattern won't repeat itself soon (the length certainly won't. 56 pages :P). Regardless, I hope this chapter makes up for it with (finally) a fight scene. Enjoy. Oh, and I don't own any intellectual properties the bigwigs say I don't. On with the show!

* * *

**Eyes of Midnight**

"Okay, then what?"

"Well, usually I put in a pinch of the green flakey stuff."

"You mean Oregano?"

"That's what I said, the green flakey stuff."

"Why not call it Oregano?"

"Why not call it green flaky stuff?"

"Because there is a lot of green flaky stuff in cooking."

"I wonder why that is."

"Sigh That's not important right now. Put the pinch in this spoon."

"Why? It's going in the pot."

"Because I need to know how much a "pinch" is."

"Why? A pinch is a pinch."

"Because everyone doesn't know how big your thumb is!"

Tsunami found herself once again sighing inwardly. The exasperated woman had spent the better part of the morning trying to produce lunch with the help of her assistant. Unfortunately, her assistant, though amply skilled at preparing food, had absolutely no idea how the rest of the world cooked. To this redheaded chef, a cup was something you drank from, a teaspoon was used to shovel sugar into one's tea, and a "Pinch", "Some", and a "Handful" were clearly scientific measurements that everyone should know. Tsunami might have been less frustrated were it not for the fact that every one of the boy's clearly questionable methods worked, and did so perfectly. After watching the boy produce most of breakfast as easily as tying his shoe and then tasting said breakfast, the woman had decided that it was now her mission to somehow document the boy's skills and any recipes she could translate from his own culinary dialect.

It had not been an easy task.

"Arata? Just out of curiosity, where did you learn to cook?" came yet another of her questions.

The redhead shrugged, "Nowhere really. Along the way, I just started cooking a lot of my meals and eventually found out I was pretty good at it."

Part of Tsunami growled at the answer. He made it sound like he woke up one morning and noticed he was a cooking savant like anyone else might notice they needed a haircut. Her own skills were a product of years of experience and lessons from her mother, and still she knew that this boy next to her had most likely forgotten more about cooking than most of the books on the shelf next to her spice rack had ever known. It wasn't really a spiteful jealousy, simply a slight envy of the boy's natural talents. Her reflections were cut short as a thought occurred to her.

"Did your mother teach you, or your father?" she asked.

The boy's relaxed and smiling face faltered only for a second before he answered, "Neither, I taught myself."

Tsunami sensed an uneasy undertone to the answer and let the subject drop as she continued to work. She didn't want to threaten the flow of the day. Regardless of the occasional language barrier between the two, Tsunami had enjoyed the morning. With Arata restricted to the house for the entirety of the day in order to cement his good health, the two found themselves passing the time with a number of culinary experiments. Living with her son and father, Tsunami never really had many chances to work with another cook, and being able to work with someone else who clearly enjoyed it as much as she did had been refreshing. She simply hadn't expected her partner to be a preteen boy.

"Okay," Arata said, reaching for a knife, "while that cooks, I'll slice this green tube thingy for the salad."

Tsunami smirked, "You know darn well that's a cucumber."

Arata laughed at the fact that she had caught him. Unfortunately, the laugh was poorly timed and was cut short when the Genin accidentally sliced his thumb. Hissing at the pain and muttering a curse, the boy put the knife down and held his thumb up to get a better look. The cut was fairly shallow, but it had still managed to draw blood as a crimson bead had begun to dribble down his hand.

"Oh dear," Tsunami sighed as she opened a cabinet over the sink, "I'll get the first aid kit." Setting the kit on the counter, she flipped the top open and took out the band-aids. The woman turned on the sink before gently grasping the boy's wrist and guiding his hand under the water to clear the wound of blood, ignorant of the confused look crossing the boy's face.

Picking up the bottle of antiseptic from the box, Tsunami said, "Now relax, this is only going to sting a little bit." With a brief hiss, the woman sprayed the disinfectant on, the slight twitching of Arata's thumb the only sign of discomfort. With practiced ease, a product of raising a small boy, the band-aid was slipped onto the thumb, and all was once again right with the world.

Tsunami looked up at the boy with a smiling face until she saw the boy's uncomfortable expression.

Realizing her mistake, she apologized, "Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose you're a bit too old for the motherly treatment aren't you?"

With an awkward laugh, Tsunami said, "I guess I've been around Inari so long, it's become reflex."

In an instant, Arata's face lost its confusion, and he joined her in the chuckle before continuing on with preparing lunch.

An hour later, a number of containers holding the elements of the group's lunch were stacked on the counter. As Tsunami dried her hands after washing them, she gave an exaggerated breath of relief and congratulated the two of them on a job well done.

The sound of the back door opening caught the pair's attention, and they turned to see Sakura in the doorway.

"Something smells great," she announced.

"It should," commented Tsunami, "We've been working most of the morning. Does your teammate have cooking in his blood or something?"

The mother noticed the girls face waver for a moment before saying, "Yeah, he's really good at it." The boy shuffled his feet at the comment, deciding to simply grin at the praise and offer his own to his partner.

The three made light conversation until Sakura revealed that she had come by to pick up lunch for everybody. Looking at the sheer amount of food the two had made, the girl sighed that it was going to take more than one trip.

A light flashed in Arata's eyes as an idea struck him, "Don't worry Sakura, I'll take Naruto and Sasuke's lunches to them."

The girl gave the boy a questioning look, "Are you sure? Sensei said you needed to stay inside."

The redhead groaned at the warning, "I'll be fine. I'm not going to faint _walking_ there. Besides, it'll save you a trip."

The girl wavered over the idea before giving in, "Alright, but make sure to tell Sasuke-kun not to overdo it. He has guard duty this afternoon. I need to get in some training too after all."

Arata nodded, holding back the urge to mutter that she wasn't the only one, and watched the girl pick up her share of the lunch and leave. Tsunami produced a second basket and began to load it before handing it to Arata and waving him out the door.

The redhead let the door shut behind him before letting his grin show. It had worked. He was out of the house and on his way to training. There was no way he was letting himself fall behind the rest of the team.

The boy stopped briefly after entering the tree line. Placing the basket on the ground, the redhead quickly removed the band-aid from his thumb and tossed it aside, not even raising an eyebrow at the fact that the cut was already gone, without even a scar to mark its passing. With that, Arata picked up his basket and was off again, humming to himself at his newfound freedom.

* * *

"Ignore it," he told himself, "It's stupid to get worked up over nothing. I should go for that branch next." With a dull thud, Arata landed on his intended target before pushing off from the tree limb towards his next destination.

"It really is nothing too," he reassured himself, "She just caught me off guard is all. That's why I got nervous. I'm going to need to use that branch for extra leverage to make the next jump." Arata's boots made another thump as he landed, and his right arm shot out to grab hold of another tree limb before adding its strength to that of the boy's legs in order to cross a particularly long gap between trees.

"What's with these people anyway? Always with the touching! It's like- Crap!" With a painful crack, the redhead's skull came in contact with a low-hanging branch, and the boy found himself on his way to a painful meeting with the ground. Cursing, Arata managed to hook his arm over a passing limb to stop his fall, even managing to keep the basket containing his lunch in the crook of his other arm. Heart thumping in his ears, the boy muttered a few foul words at his own incompetence and pulled himself up, sitting with his back against the trunk of the tree as he caught his breath and rubbed his aching forehead.

"Stupid tree. Whose idea was it to put that there? I'll bet it was on purpose," he complained to no one. As tempting as it was to blame the inanimate object, Arata had to admit that the collision wouldn't have happened had he not been distracted. And why had he been distracted? Excitement over training? The thought of being out of that house? No. He was distracted because that woman had held his hand. It bothered him. It was stupid that it did, but he couldn't deny that the miniscule contact had rattled him.

Why? It had been the same every time. The band-aide, Sakura's hug, the old man or Kakashi putting their hands on his shoulder. He knew these people well enough by now, or at least that they meant him no harm, but part of him, a part he was careful to hide, cringed whenever they made contact. Whenever these people the Genin knew he had to trust pushed that one boundary, part of him would recoil at the contact.

Regardless, he had shrugged the feeling off every time. Every time but this one. He knew why too. It was how Tsunami had held his hand. So gentle. So kind. So… motherly? Was that it? Was that what a mother felt like?

Damn it! This was dumb. He was wasting his time. Why couldn't he just let the subject go? Arata wanted to drop it, wanted to write it off like he did with most of the things he knew simply weren't in the cards. A family just happened to be one of them. He could live with that too. He'd taken care of himself for years and managed just fine. A place to sleep, an occasional full stomach, a friend here and there and he was happy. The boy was okay with the idea that some other things would just have to remain alien to him.

But that was just it. That feeling hadn't been alien. The boy desperately wished the emotions had been a new sensation, but he couldn't deny the familiarity. He remembered having the feelings before. It had been a long time ago, but he could still remember her face, could still remember _her_. Pain shot up Arata's spine and quickly dismissed the ache in his forehead. Grumbling and putting the thoughts aside for the moment, the redhead reached back and massaged his aching back, grumbling to himself.

"Would you like some help?"

Arata jumped at the noise and looked down at the smiling face of the voice's owner.

"Sorry," the girl apologized, "I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to see if you were all right. You took a nasty crack to the head there. I think I have something that could help with that."

"Oh, thank you," replied Arata before he nimbly leapt to the ground in front of the girl, setting the lunch by his feet.

Reaching into the basket on her arm, the girl retrieved a few stalks of greens and handed them to the Genin.

Arata arched an eyebrow at the plants, "Wolf's Tongue?"

The girl smiled at the boy and smoothed the front of her pink kimono, "You know your plants."

"A few of the useful ones," replied the redhead, "Wolf's Tongue releases a pain killer when chewed. You grind it in with your back teeth and then store it in your cheek while it leaks the chemical. Good for some quick relief without an annoying high, but you don't want to swallow." Bending the stalks in half, Arata popped the greens in his mouth and began to chew.

"Very good, though most doctors will tell you it works best when refined into a paste," commented his companion, "I've been collecting these for a friend of mine who needs the stronger form."

Arata looked at the girl as he chewed. There was something about her. Her movements were purely feminine, but something just seemed… Spotting a particular part of "her" throat, the boy realized his misconception.

After using his tongue to spread the remnants of the plants along his gums, Arata scratched his head and said with a slight distortion from the full mouth, "Sorry if I shorted your friend some relief."

The young man's face kept its warm, beaming expression, "Don't worry, I have enough to last the next couple of days, I just thought I'd stock up on some extra to be sure."

Holding out his hand Arata introduced himself, pausing slightly to wonder why he had done so.

"Haku" came the reply.

"So Haku," Arata said, savoring the feeling of the medication kicking in, and wanting to give it time to work before heading off, "Is your friend okay? I know a doctor in town who might help, but your friend might not be your friend anymore after seeing him."

Haku waved the offer off, "Thank you, but it's nothing serious. What about you? Is the medicine working?"

"Yeah, my head's fine," answered the Genin

"Not even a bruise. Impressive. And your back? I noticed you rubbing it but didn't see you hit it," the young man pointed out.

"Oh that? That comes and goes, no big deal," Arata replied.

Tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, Haku said, "You seemed fairly agile from what I saw. What caused the collision?"

Arata's face reddened at the question, "Oh, yeah, I was a little distracted."

"Would it be rude to ask by what?" asked Haku.

Arata's eyes became downcast, "Thoughts. Mostly about an old- uh- friend I guess."

"It looked like these memories were troubling you," commented Haku. The warmth in his face never wavered, clearly encouraging him to continue.

Arata didn't like where the conversation was going, "They tend to when the subject of the memories is dead." His answer was terse, declaring the subject closed.

Haku dropped his smile and gave a pacifying bow, "You have my apologies Arata-san. I did not mean to pry."

The voice of guilt immediately shamed the Genin, and he responded, "Damn it, no. I'm sorry, I'm just in a bad mood. Really."

The return of Haku's smile showed that no harm had been done, "Very well, I wish you well Arata. I must be back to my efforts."

Pointing through the trees to a nearby field, the redhead offered, "I remember seeing some Wolf's Tongue over there."

Haku gave his thanks and turned to leave as the Genin retrieved his basket from the forest floor.

The young man was almost out of sight when he heard over his shoulder, "So, how long until Zabuza comes back?"

Without even stiffening at the remark, Haku turned to see the now-stony face of his acquaintance, "How did you know?"

"I only got a whiff of him, but you're covered in his scent," came the response.

"You take quite the risk to be so blatant. I am his ally after all," Haku pointed out, his own face now mirroring Arata's neutral expression.

"From what I hear, if you wanted me dead, I would be," the redhead replied.

An appraising look crossed the rogue nin's eyes, "You might surprise me. You certainly surprised my master."

"Regardless," Arata continued, "We're booked Monday, but we can kick his butt Tuesday if you have the time. So when's good for you?"

A smirk pulled it's way across Haku's face, "If I were to answer your question, would you believe me?"

"I don't know," answered the boy, "You seem like the honest type, which has me wondering why you're running with a guy like him."

An affectionate smile played across the young man's lips, "He is the closest and only person I have. I'm willing to do a lot for the people I love. You understand don't you?"

The smile faltered when Haku heard the response, "No."

"You have no one you love?" asked the rogue nin.

Arata's eyes darkened at the question before he replied in a low voice, "I can't…"

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that," Haku said with genuine honesty.

"Haku…" Arata called, "I don't want to hurt those you care about, but if I have to, I will."

Determination written on his face, Haku replied, "I suppose my warning is the same."

"In the meantime, care to join me for lunch?" Arata offered, the shadow gone from his eyes as quickly as it had appeared.

Haku held back the urge to laugh and responded, "No thank you, Zabuza-sama will wonder where I have gone. I wouldn't mind the recipe to that soup you scalded him with some time though."

Arata laughed at the request, "Sure, the next time we meet." Without another word, the pair turned from each other and went their separate ways.

* * *

Pillars of amber broke through the thick cover of tree branches and showered light onto the forest floor. A refreshing breeze wove its way through the forest, dancing around trees and giggling its mirth in the whisper of the wind. It was a fantastic day for doing nothing at all. Unfortunately, for two Genin, they had no time to enjoy such a day, as they were far too busy climbing trees. Well, to be more specific, one was busy climbing a tree while the other was preoccupied with falling from one.

With a heavy thud and a wheeze noting the hurried exit of all of the air from his lungs for the latest of many times that day, Naruto found himself once again staring up at the forest canopy from his place on his back on the forest floor.

"And that is why gravity is friend to no man."

Emerald eyes appeared in front of Naruto's face.

"Hey Arata, what are you doing outside of the house?"

The brow above the eyes furrowed in a frown, "Is that any way to greet a friend bearing lunch?"

Naruto's face lit up at the announcement, and he quickly flipped himself onto his feet before flopping back onto the ground and crossing his legs, rubbing his hands in anticipation, "Awesome, what'd ya bring me?"

Arata chuckled at the boy's eagerness and joined the blonde on the ground before he began to unpack the basket.

Handing his teammate a bowl with one hand and offering him a thermos of soup with the other, the redhead asked, "So, where's Sasuke?"

As if to answer him, a second form came crashing through the treetops to slam into the ground next to the pair.

"Hey Sasuke. Hungry?" Arata said.

The form groaned before growling, "Aren't you supposed to be at the house?"

"Aren't you supposed to avoid annoying someone holding hot soup?"

"…point taken."

Pulling himself up, Sasuke settled by his teammates before requesting his own share of the meal.

Arata raised an eyebrow, "Not even going to admit that just happened are you?"

"No… no I am not," came the reply. It took Naruto and Arata a good minute to stop laughing.

The trio spent the next half an hour chatting amiably, or as amiably as their respective personalities would allow.

"So we're preparing for our next fight by climbing trees?" Arata commented as he speared another bit of salad with his fork.

"It's a lesson in chakra control," Sasuke snorted, "Even Naruto sees that."

"And if that fails, we can at least hope Zabuza is afraid of heights," replied the redhead, ignoring his teammate's comments, "By the way, your training's done for now. You have afternoon guard duty, so Sakura's switching places with you."

Grinning at Sasuke's disappointment at being denied more training time, Arata finished the last of his meal and stood up, dusting himself off, "So, let's get started Naruto."

"Nice try," the blonde said after sipping from his soup bowl, "but you're going back to the house."

"Not a chance," growled Arata, "I didn't finagle my way out here just to turn around and go wait quietly in my room."

Naruto sighed at his teammate's refusal, "No. I'm not seeing you get hurt again because you were stubborn."

"Then you'd better give tips and keep an eye on me because that's all I'm going to give you," replied the redhead.

Sasuke felt his own need to keep the obstinate fool on the ground, "We're serious Arata. This looks like nothing, but Naruto and I haven't been getting these bruises from nothing. If you do this before you're ready, you really could get injured."

Arata struck a thoughtful pose before asking, "So what the two of you are saying is that I shouldn't just blindly charge into the training exactly like this?" Before his teammates could stop him or even lodge a complaint, the Genin was off and charging strait towards the nearest tree. Without breaking pace, without even reacting to the large and very solid obstacle quickly approaching him, Arata dashed forward. When the boy finally reached the trunk of the tree, he still didn't slow down. He simply changed directions. After a perfect ninety degree turn strait up, the redhead found himself sprinting along the bark of the tree, branches whizzing by his ear as he spiraled up the trunk in order to dodge them. After nearly thirty feet, the boy felt his feet slipping, felt himself gaining less and less ground for each stride, and felt gravity reaching up to rudely form a fist around his stomach, pulling back hard to remind him who was in charge.

With a flick of his wrist, Arata slipped a kunai from his jacket and pulled his arms back behind his head, gripping the hilt with both hands. Finally, his feet found no purchase against the arboreal wall and slipped from beneath him, rendering the boy face to face with his opponent. With a labored grunt, Arata brought his arms forward in a powerful arc and slammed the kunai home, resting his weight on his newly found perch before easing himself onto a nearby bough.

Grinning and breathing heavily the boy surveyed his gawking teammates before calling down to them, "So, just to clarify, I shouldn't be doing this at all right?"

His frustration pushed aside by sheer shock, Naruto found himself replying back to the boy, "How did you do that? Kakashi Sensei just started teaching us that!"

Arata retrieved his kunai before making a halting decent to the forest floor, leaping from branch to branch as he went.

After landing in front of his now-composed teammates, the redhead answered, "Yeah, well, it's a useful skill. You'd be surprised at how many people leave their second story windows unlocked. It's like they don't expect a dashing young thief to climb through them or something."

Naruto beamed at what he hoped was his teammate's joke, ignoring the condescending look Sasuke wore, "Man, you have to be some kind of prodigy to know that stuff already."

Arata shrugged the compliment off, "Not really, I just learned what was useful at the time. I didn't even know it had to do with chakra control. Besides, I got a look at some the progress the two of you have been making while I was up there. You've both got at least twice my distance. I have some serious catching up to do."

Noticing the look in his teammate's eye, Naruto rubbed the back of his head, contemplating what to do now before Sasuke answered for him, "I guess you'd better get to work then."

The blonde glared at the Uchiha for encouraging the risk, but the raven-haired Genin simply responded with a bored roll of his eyes, "We're not convincing the idiot anytime soon. Might as well be sure everyone's ready when things finally go down."

Ignoring the groan from Naruto, Arata simply gave a grin to both of them before declaring, "Well, with that settled… race you to the top!"

* * *

Humming to himself, Haku deposited the last of the Wolf's Tongue in his basket before standing up and gently dabbing his brow with the hem of his sleeve, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear as he did so. The rogue nin certainly owed the boy from earlier a thanks. Alongside the Wolf's Tongue had been a patch of flowers that could be boiled to produce a disinfectant, something Zabuza-sama's many cuts would certainly benefit from. It was a sour thought that the boy most likely wouldn't survive the coming fight. Perhaps Haku might be able to convince his teacher that the copy nin was the only one that really _needed_ to die. Then again, considering what that boy had done to Zabuza-sama…

Stretching as the noonday sun beat down upon his neck, Haku noted his aching back and wondered if he could spare any of the painkiller for himself. Marking his poor mood up to the rising heat, the young man retrieved his basket and turned to make for the nearby tree line, thoughts of the water in the canteen left hanging from a tree limb in the cool shade playing through his mind. Haku stopped suddenly and grew rigid at what he saw. Weaving through and around the trees like water flowing downhill, a dense fog was approaching, enveloping the forest as it went. As if afraid of the sun's light, the mist stopped at the forest's edge. The silver curtain hung there, it's edges curling back over themselves every time they strayed too close to the direct light of the field.

Haku watched the fog nervously, eyeing the dancing shadows of the branches now hidden in the grey sea. The young man was clearly no stranger to such techniques and knew a mist jutsu when he saw one. His eyes flew to one part in particular as a section of the silver wall seemed to overcome its fear and began to distend and push outwards, until, like a bubble that had been popped, the mists flew back to the tree line, leaving the figure they had been cloaking in the open as he continued to walk forward.

He made no sounds save the soft crunch of the sun-dried soil underneath his boots as he strode towards Haku, hands stuffed in the pockets of the man's mat-black jacket. The sun glinted off of the hilts of two daggers hanging on each side of the man's belt. His pants were an urban camo that stood out offensively against the greens of the field. Hanging down to his neck was a mess of dark brown hair that appeared to have bits of dirt woven into many of the unwashed dreads. In fact, the entire man seemed to have been covered in a light dusting of earth, as no part seemed clean aside from the gleaming metal of the headband strapped to his shoulder, a weathered gash dug through the symbol for the Hidden Village of Rock. The whole of the man's face was concealed by what looked like a gas mask, a single circular filter set to the right of the mouthpiece. A pair of ice-blue eyes stared forward from the shadows of the goggles.

Haku could eventually make out the slow rhythmic rasps of the man's own breaths echoing inside the mask as he continued forward until he had almost reached the rogue nin.

Without a single word the man simply walked past Haku only stopping when the young man himself finally spoke up, his voice even but still betraying its owner's anger, "They're _our_ marks Obutsu."

Halting in his tracks immediately, the man calmly called over his shoulder, "They _were_ your marks Haku. They _were_." The man's nasally voice was flat and distorted by the mask he wore, but the words were clear enough, and so were their meaning.

Turning to face the man, letting the basket drop at his side, Haku replied, "No. We were contracted to do this job, and we're still going to finish it."

Obutsu turned slowly around to meet Haku's gaze before answering in a disinterested voice, "I'm afraid you've been replaced. Your former employer and my newfound boss isn't one to reward failure."

Haku's composure began to crack and he gritted his teeth as he forced out a response, "Understand this Obutsu, Kakashi is my master's to kill and no one else's-"

"No, you understand," the man interrupted, his apathetic tone replaced by clipped anger, "I have lost the chance at too many contracts to your precious Zabuza to let this one slip away, and I'm not about to let that washed up failure or his _bed warmer(1)_ stand in my way!"

A rare scowl flashed upon Haku's face, "Never speak about Zabuza-sama that way!" Haku's right hand twitched and formed a fist to catch the set of senbon needles that fell from the kimono's sleeve. Lashing his arm forward, the young man sent the needles hurtling towards their target.

Cold eyes watched the needles with little interest as they passed through the spot their owner had occupied moments before.

"Really Haku," Obutsu taunted leaping to the side and then back towards the center of the field, "I didn't think you had that kind of temper in you. You should be careful. It throws off the aim, and I'd wager that kimono of yours doesn't have room for many extra weapons. Perhaps you should ask Zabuza to buy you male's clothing next time."

Growling to himself, Haku bounded after the man who had insulted his sensei. With a flick of the wrist, another salvo of needles was sent at Obutsu. Coming within inches of his face, the projectiles flew past the rogue nin to impact harmlessly against the trunk of a nearby tree stump, their intended target continuing his retreat towards the tree line.

"Water," Haku thought as he maintained his pursuit, "I don't have my normal supply of weapons, and I need water if I want to use- wait!" A slight smile replaced the scowl on his face. Retrieving a kunai from within his kimono, Haku threw the blade with all his might.

Obutsu congratulated himself on fraying the young fool's nerves. He would barely have to try to dodge this next attack. Twitching his body to the right, the rogue nin watched the kunai fly by before returning his attention to Haku. It wasn't until he heard the hollow thud followed by a splash that Obutsu began to realize how little he had gotten to the young man.

Slamming into the canteen that had up to that point still been hanging from the tree, the kunai faced little resistance from the water skin before ripping through it with enough force to spray the contents through the air in a small cloud. A cloud that now hung there, free of any gravity.

Haku's right hand already halfway through the requisite hand signs, the young man smiled as he watched Obutsu's gaze shift quickly from the demolished canteen to his opponent as realization dawned in his eyes. Mouthing the words "Sensatsu Suishou(2)" Haku jerked his left hand towards himself. The air cracked as the temperature around the cloud of water plummeted. Within the blink of an eye, the water condensed to form a wall of needles that then flew forward towards their target.

Obutsu cursed as he saw the mass of frozen projectiles approaching, tensing every muscle in his body as he tried to summon the speed necessary to escape. Pulling himself out of the way, Obutsu felt the chilling wind of the passing needles, smiling at his triumph before a stinging pain screamed up his left side. Looking down, the rogue nin saw a number of raged cuts in the cloth covering his left thigh and a growing crimson stain showing beneath them.

The needles continued their flight path towards their master before halting just before Haku's now outstretched hand. His arms flying forward, Haku plucked two fistfuls of needles from the air, noting the increased size of some of them, the cold adding the freshly drawn blood to many of the projectiles' volumes.

Letting the others fall to the ground to wait for future use, Haku let his smile grow into a smirk before he called to his opponent, "I suppose I'm not as low on ammunition as you might think Obutsu."

Grimacing and favoring his right leg, Obutsu spat, "Looks like you're tougher than you dress. No matter, it's my turn anyway."

Raising an eyebrow at the man's words, Haku watched as he placed his gloved hands together to form a series of hand signs. Not wanting to give him the chance, the young man hurled a handful of senbon at the man before snatching another set from the ground.

With the projectiles fast approaching, Obutsu finally finished the symbols before calling out, "Koudo Ryokou Jutsu(3)!" Rapidly, the earth beneath the man's feet broke apart, rocky soil shifting as easily as sand. As the needles closed in, the man fell strait down into the void created in the earth, the dirt flowing back into place behind him.

Haku balked at the sight. Where had the scum gone? Earth jutsus were something alien to Haku, but from what little he had heard, the young nin had a sinking feeling he knew what was coming. Unfortunately, he realized he was right too late.

Erupting from the ground behind Haku, loose earth running off his body in rivulets, Obutsu let loose with a low hook against Haku's lower back. Staggering forward and sucking wind, his kidney calling in protest, Haku barely had time to turn his left side to the man and bring up his arm to block a swing at his head. Keeping his guard up and retreating, Haku forced a simple jutsu through his mind. Running chakra through his clenched fist, Haku melded the ice needles still between his fingers, flattening them to a razor's thickness and fussing them together, molding them into a crescent blade curled along his knuckles. New weapon in hand, Haku brought his right arm around in a slicing hook.

Obutsu was having so much fun too. And then he saw that blade. Well, it was a little early for the kill anyway. Pulling back from the attack, the nin formed the hand signs again, allowing himself to fall backwards into the gaping maw of dirt that opened up behind him.

Eye's widening at the disappearance of his opponent, Haku forced himself to remain calm. He knew Obutsu's pattern. If he didn't want another fist or worse in the back, he needed to move while the man was still underground. Running forward and keeping his sight set behind him for Obutsu's return, Haku readied himself. It was because of this that that the young nin had only the sound of cracking dirt and tearing grass roots to warn him of his mistake. Running on instinct, without even turning forward to see what he knew was there, the rogue nin threw himself to the left in time to see a gleaming blade whistle through the air where he had been moments ago.

Carefully righting himself to keep from tripping, Haku glared at Obutsu, certain that the oaf was grinning behind that mask. How? He was underground. How could he know where Haku had gone?

"Figure it out yet?" the man's voice rasped behind his mask, followed by a disturbing wheezing sound that took Haku a moment to recognize as laughter, "There's a reason I'm called the Land Shark boy!"

With the sound of shifting dirt, Obutsu was gone again. Haku's knuckles grew white as he clenched his fists in frustration. Now he was completely on the defensive, and he had no idea how to change that. The needles left in the grass couldn't provide the water he needed for the only jutsu he could think to use.

Twenty feet from the young man, Obutsu erupted from the ground, traveling forward through the air and perpendicular to Haku, his body flying in an arc over the ground. The man's arm lashed out and sent a kunai hurtling toward Haku. Turning, the young man raised his right fist to deflect the projectile with his makeshift weapon. Without even slowing down, Obutsu dove headfirst back into the ground. The process was repeated moments later behind Haku, the young man barely managing to roll out of the way. As if a fish in the ocean, Obutsu would surface, strike at his opponent, and disappear beneath the ground before Haku had any chance to retaliate. Begrudgingly, the rogue nin had to admit to himself that Obutsu's alias was well deserved. The man did indeed resemble a shark leaping from the ocean to strike at its prey.

Haku's head jerked from left to right, desperately looking for a sign of where his opponent would come from next. All he could see was an ocean of grass, some of it waving in the wind. Except… there was no wind. The rogue nin's attention shot to the patch of grass that seemed to be bending in the nonexistent breeze. He watched as the grass twitched in different places, watched as the world's smallest windstorm moved across the field, leaving a perfect trail. Bursting up from the ground, Obutsu was met with the sight of a slew of senbon needles set on an intercept course with his body. Desperately, the nin tried to dodge aside, but with no ground under his feet for traction, he accomplished little more than flailing a bit in the air before two needles slammed home, one imbedding itself in his right shoulder, the other bouncing off the rim of his skull, tearing a gash along his scalp. His concentration ruined, Obutsu failed to keep his jutsu going and found no welcoming void in the earth to greet him when he reached the ground. Rolling and spitting curses, the man left a rising trail of dust as he came to a halt.

Standing, deep pants of exertion and rage rattling inside his mask, Obutsu pulled himself to his feet to stare a smirking Haku, now standing once again over his needle supply, in the eye. The rouge nin had been tempted to charge the buffoon, but close combat had never been his forte, and he hoped Obutsu would be foolish enough to fall for the same trick again.

His hopes were dashed at Obutsu's next words, "I suppose I was a fool to pick this fight in an open field, wasn't I?"

"You were a fool to pick this fight at all Obutsu," the young man replied, "My master would have killed you by now. Now leave while I'm still willing to let you."

Ignoring Haku's threats, Obutsu yanked the senbon from his shoulder and continued, "The vibrations of my little trick tend to show up in odd ways at times, but I hate dodging tree roots. So, naturally, I've had to find ways around getting detected. Normally I save them for necessities because frankly, I like what I do, and I like to make it last as long as possible. That, and I can't stand being accused of a lack of originality."

"But," Obutsu finished, whipping a dribble of blood from his goggles before forming hand seals, "When I must, I must."

Haku recognized the seals. He should, he'd seen them countless times before. Apparently freed from their fear of the sun, the mists hiding in the shade of the forest began to creep forward. Recognizing his intent, Haku realized he had to keep Obutsu from reaching the fog. Charging forward at the man, the rogue nin readied his blade. Unfortunately, the charge was pointless, as Obutsu was already disappearing beneath the earth, leaving an almost imperceptible trail of waving grass behind him and leading towards the shielding silver curtain.

Grinding his teeth, Haku turned to retreat to the opposite tree line only to see an identical curtain waiting for him. Uttering another rarity of a curse, Haku realized what had happened. This entire fight up until now had been a distraction; a diversion to keep him ignorant of the grey wall slowly encircling the field, hiding in the shade to keep from attracting attention. And it had worked perfectly. Every move Obutsu had made had been leading up to this faultless trap. A sadistic smile began to creep across the young nin's face. It was a pity Obutsu had put so much effort into his own death.

* * *

"Honestly Arata, I really should have seen this coming."

"Yeah, you probably should have-OW!" the boy yelped as Sakura dug her elbow into the boy's already sore abdomen. Even with Naruto forcing him to take a slower pace, the boy was still sore from the day's exertions and more than a few failed attempts to avoid falling.

"And you Naruto," Sakura continued to admonish, "how could you let him do this. You know he was supposed to stay in bed."

The blonde shrunk under the fuming glare of the pink-haired Genin and tried his best to shift her ire, "Hey, Sasuke's the one who okayed it."

It was to no avail as the sound of Sakura cuffing her teammate over the head, an oddly hollow note, soon rang throughout the surrounding woods, "Don't try to blame Sasuke!"

Turning to the raven-haired boy, the girl's voice took a calmer but still annoyed tone, "Sasuke-kun, you knew Arata needed to rest."

"He seemed fine to me," the Uchiha replied, shrugging the complaint off.

"Yeah," agreed Arata, "He's had a head start and I've still almost caught up to him."

"Then again," Sasuke added, his eyebrow twitching, "he is looking rather feint. Maybe he should take the rest of the week off."

"Come over here and make me!" was the redhead's reply.

"Enough!" Sakura interrupted, wary of the look in both of the Genins' eyes. Minutes ago, the girl had arrived to trade places with Sasuke only to find her teammate, a teammate who's health the girl still held as her personal responsibility, pushing himself to exhaustion miles away from the bed he should have currently been residing in. Sakura extended her finger forcefully in the direction of Sasuke.

"Sasuke, you're going to the bridge to help out Kakashi sensei," the girl declared before shifting her attention to the next in line, "Arata, you're going back to the house to rest. And Naruto…"

At this, the Kunoichi's wrath seemed to peek as her commanding digit finally came to rest on the blonde, "You're going with him, and I don't care if you have to knock him unconscious again, he's going to BED!"

At the end of the last of her words, one could here a pin drop in the forest, mostly due to the fact that none of the boys seemed able to muster the courage to argue. Therefore, it was easy for all present to hear the dull _crump_ rolling through the trees. All heads immediately turned to the direction it had come from.

It was Arata who confirmed what all present had been worrying about, "Explosives." The word and it's meaning hung in the air for a moment. Somewhere off in the distance, a detonation had gone off, and that most likely meant combat.

"Construction blasting?" Sakura hoped.

"No," Arata disagreed, "Wrong direction, and it's an explosive tag. The high pitch gives it away."

A chill ran down the group's collective spine. If Zabuza was back, they weren't ready, and none present seemed in any hurry to find out is he was.

Naruto's voice finally broke the silence, "Well come on. We have to help."

The blonde began to move towards the noise but was stopped by Sasuke's voice, "No Naruto, we need to get Kakashi sensei."

The Genin turned towards his teammate, "But it'll be too late then. Who knows what that psycho with the sword could do before we get back."

"We don't even know if it's him," Sakura argued, trying desperately to keep the fear from her voice, "You know what kind of shape Sensei left him in."

Naruto shook his head forcefully, but it was Arata that replied, "We're the only ones here with the guts to fight that don't work for Gato. Even if it isn't him, I doubt whoever it is is doing public services." Sakura couldn't deny that point.

"Well what then?" asked Sasuke.

"We split up." The trio of Genin turned to look at Sakura, her comment catching them off guard.

Forcing what little strength she felt she had into her words, the girl continued, "It's the only choice we have and the best tactical decision we can make when civilian lives are at stake. Three of us move to intercept the aggressor while one retrieves the senior ninja. The combat team will have to do it's best to hold out until backup arrives." Finished reciting part of a tactical lecture from the academy, Sakura looked to the boy's for a reply.

After a brief moment's thought, Sasuke agreed, "Alright. Arata? Naruto? You two are with me. Sakura, get Kakashi-"

"No," Sakura interrupted, "I need to go with the combat team. I'm the only fresh nin here. You're rested and the fastest one of us Sasuke. You go." Sasuke made to argue but couldn't. She was right.

"Are you sure Sakura?" Naruto asked, in no hurry to see the girl he cared about in danger.

She wasn't. She didn't want to go. She wanted to get Kakashi. Every inch of her body wanted to run as far away from the sound of battle as she could and stay there. But she couldn't. Every bit of tactical knowledge she had soaked up while most of the class had been knapping told her that this was the only way they stood a chance of winning, and every part of her soul knew, _knew_, there would be no coming back if she backed down now. They needed her and damned if she was going to fail them again.

"Yes. I'm certain. Now come on. We're wasting time." Later, the girl would look back and relish it. Relish the respect she saw in her teammates' eyes. The look that showed that she was an equal to them. At the moment however, she could only steel herself for the terror she knew was to come.

The group stood rigid for a moment, all hesitant to move, each one giving the others one last look at teammates they didn't know if they'd see again. An impossible situation for children, but one they were in all the same. The moment was over quickly as they each broke their stares and went their separate ways, their unspoken goodbyes hanging on the wind.

* * *

No wind blew in the grey tinted ghost lands. What had been a warm field moments before had become a shifting sea the color of tarnished silver where shadows danced in the barely opaque distances only a few dozen feet from Haku. The mist was thickest around his ankles where it curled and flowed over the ground, obscuring the grasses beneath them and dismissing any chances Haku had of predicting Obutsu's next attack. While others might have been chilled by their eerie surroundings, Haku was celebrating on the inside. Obutsu had chosen a jutsu the young nin had spent nearly the better portion of his life around, and Haku was going to make him pay for his foolishness. He just had to wait for the fool to get above ground.

He didn't have to wait long. Moments after Haku had shifted his feet to a more stable stance, Obutsu broke through the soil behind Haku, aiming the kunai in his hand at Haku's back. Wary of the nin's trick by now, the young man didn't even try to turn but instead threw himself forward into a roll, hearing the whistle of the kunai slicing through the air behind him. Using the momentum to carry himself back onto his feet, Haku stayed facing forward, focusing on the hand seals he had begun even before rolling fully upright again.

"Now!" his mind raced, "Do it now! Before he has a chance to get back underground." Finishing the last seal, Haku forced his palms against the ground before shouting the familiar name of his signature jutsu. Rapidly, as if a vacuum were created, the mists began to swirl towards the point where Haku's hand made contact with the dirt. For the second time that day, an unnatural chill filled the air. Resounding with a snapping noise, the surrounding air immediately felt like that of an ice box as the streams of the fog continued to circle down towards Haku's hands like water exiting a drain. Beginning from where Haku touched the field, ice began to quickly form along the ground, spreading outward in a perfect circle. Grasses were bent and crushed under the advancing slab as it forced them down under the perfectly smooth sheet of ice forming beneath the two nins' feet. Obutsu could only stare as, in a matter of heartbeats, the ground beneath came to resemble a glacier more than a field. No, not a glacier. It was too smooth to be a glacier. It was more like… The perfect mirror surface of the ice reflected Obutsu's shocked expression back at him as he realized what was happening. The masked nin tried to turn to escape, but his feet nearly came out from underneath him on the now slick floor of ice. Steadying himself with artificial friction from chakra he rushed to his feet, Obutsu righted himself in time to see new, smaller vortexes of mist begin to form, ice materializing in mid air to form a ring of smaller mirrors. These mirrors were topped with a smaller ring at a slight angle, the process repeating itself until a dome was finally formed over the pair.

Drawing himself back to his full height, having no trouble keeping his footing on the ice, Haku turned to his opponent, doing his best not to tremble after spending so much chakra. The jutsu, being exhaustive normally, had become even more so with the larger, extra mirror along the ground. But it had been necessary. That mirror had been the lynchpin. Knowing the strength of the ice involved in this juts, Haku doubted his opponent would be making any escapes any time soon. Part of himself that Haku wasn't proud of relished the panicked look in Obutsu's eyes as they darted around, looking for a way out of the trap.

"Like a cornered animal," Haku realized. The very trap that Obutsu had so carefully lured Haku into had provided all the materials the young nin had needed. After all, what was fog but water vapor?

Obutsu's attention was brought back to his opponent as he watched Haku disappear, sinking into the newly formed mirror. A feeling like cold breath whispered across the mercenary's ear before he a slight pain registered on his cheek. Bringing a finger to his face, Obutsu felt the familiar warmth of his own blood. Whirling to look behind him, the nin was met with the feminine eyes of Haku staring back at him from inside the mirror, readying another crystalline senbon.

Dodging to his left Obutsu came out of the roll cursing, "How? What Genjutsu is this!?"

Leaping from a mirror across from Obutsu, Haku charged at the man, crescent blade once again in hand, only to fall from sight back into the mirror floor inches from the man. A startled Obutsu had no time to gather his wits before he felt a senbon impact with his back. Staggering forward, Obutsu looked up once again to find Haku staring back passively at him from the pane of ice in front of him. Obutsu's arm lashed forward, flinging his kunai at those damnable eyes only to see it bounce harmlessly off the mirror, not even leaving a scratch. As if to taunt him, Haku's visage appeared in the mirrors next to his target, spreading to the surrounding slabs of ice until the entire dome stared back at Obutsu with the same apathetic gaze.

"Show yourself!" Obutsu raged at the reflections, "Stop hiding behind this illusion and fight me like a man if you still consider yourself one!"

A look of the slightest disgust ran across the eyes of the Hakus before disappearing behind their indifferent masks, "To think _you_ would have the gall to accuse me of being a coward. This is no illusion Obutsu, and as for where I am: I'm anywhere I want to be right now. A painful turn isn't it? Though I admit that I too dislike being, what was it, "accused of a lack of originality"? So, to save face for both of us, stand still and let me end this. You can mutter a last curse if you like. It seems to be a pattern among ones such as yourself."

"Not an illusion. It's not an illusion," Obutsu's mind raced, "Then… Then it's not a problem."

The nin's eyes smiled unnervingly behind his goggles, "You little bastard."

"Artful last words Obutsu," commented Haku, "They suit you well."

Ignoring the young man, Obutsu kept going, "You think I'm new to this? I've found a thousand and one ways to kill a man and tested every one of them. You get that kind of practice and you get damned good at what you do."

Obutsu's hands began to flash through hand symbols as he continued, "My jutsu breaks through earth and stone to get me where I want to go. It's just a matter of chakra. Do you really think your pathetic little mirror gag is going to stop me?" Realizing where this was going, Haku leapt from a mirror, unleashing a hail of needles at Obutsu, but it was too late. Crying out the necessary words, Obutsu slammed his fist into the middle of the reflective ground. With a flash of concentrated, tangible chakra, the mirror shattered, pieces whistling through the air in all directions. Dodging the crystal shrapnel as best as he could, Haku tried to find Obutsu only to see a closing hole in the earth where the nin had once stood. Forcing his hands into a seal, Haku tried to address a more pressing matter. His network was falling apart.

The ice mirror jutsu wasn't a simple one. It took the careful weaving of chakra into a web that held the ice together, giving it it's strength. Now, with one of the mirrors broken, chakra was being released quickly, and the jutsu was beginning to unravel. Haku had to act quickly to save his last hope in this fight. He simply didn't have the chakra left for anything else. Carefully, using the last of his chakra, Haku began to mend the paths of energy flow within the mirrors. He just needed a little more time.

Obutsu's voice from behind informed him that he didn't have it, "I wonder what happens when you hit the outside of one of these." Smoothing the adhesive side of an explosive tag against the back of the mirror directly behind Haku, Obutsu disappeared beneath the ground again, wheezing his disturbing laugh as he went.

"Damn," was all Haku could mange to think before the tag went off, shattering the mirror and flinging Haku to the ground. All concentration from their master gone, the other mirrors followed suit and fell to the ground in rapidly melting pieces.

Ears ringing, Haku tried to pull himself up only to feel a boot connect with his side, sending him flying across the grass. Sucking wind, Haku began to get to his feet, his eyes still blurred from the explosion. Another strike to the head sent him back to the ground.

Haku's clearing ears began to make out Obutsu's words, "Little --, or –ould I ca— you –itch? I can never tell with you." More blows began to rain down, and a weakened Haku could do little against them.

Granted, Obutsu had had better fights, but at least he had finally reached his favorite part. There was something about being able to hurt someone at will that was just so… satisfying. Maybe it made him a bad person, and maybe there was a time he might have cared, but it really didn't matter now. What mattered now was making this panting, shuddering creature in front of him pay for every nick, bruise, and gash he'd insulted Obutsu with. And he would exact the payment in full.

After a number of other blows, Obutsu drew one of the daggers at his side and grabbed Haku by the throat and lifted him up before slamming him against the tree stump that dominated the center of the field, the remnants of the tree's former trunk creaking with the impact, cracks beginning to show in the bark.

Bringing the point of the blade to the young man's gut, Obutsu taunted, "Where to begin? Should I go for the throat? No, too soon. How about a nice belly wound, spill those pretty guts of yours all over the ground? Messy, but as you can tell, I'm not one for cleanliness, which is good, because this is going to get very, _very _dirty." Obutsu threw his head back in laughter as Haku tried to choke out a retort, but was cut short by the feeling of his dagger leaving his hand as it was slammed away by the collision of a shuriken. Turning to the direction the blow had come from, Obutsu had just enough time to see something land at his feet in a ball before a foot lashed out and upwards from the form and connected with the nin's gut. Flying back a number of feet, Obutsu hit the ground rolling before picking himself up again.

The form straitened before beginning to talk, "Wow, I guess excess chakra can repel my foot from the tree _and_ repel morons from my foot. And Kakashi sensei says I'm a slow learner."

Another form landed next to the horrendously orange one and replied, "No, he says you're hyperactive, a knucklehead, and a pest. He didn't say anything about your learning skills. Now hold him while I get Haku out of here."

"You just had to ruin my moment didn't you Arata?" the orange one whined at his hooded companion before turning and charging Obutsu, "Hurt my friend will ya?"

Haku looked up at Arata, one of his eyes already starting to swell shut, and watched as the Genin bent down to speak to him, "Come on, we need to hurry so I can back him up. We aren't exactly fighting fit right now. Can you be moved?"

Mind reeling at the turn of events, Haku could only nod and ask, "Why are you here?"

"The salad bar. Best deal in town," Arata answered as he moved Haku's body into a position lying face down across his shoulders, "No time to question providence Haku." Moving as quickly as Arata felt Haku could handle, the Genin carried the young man toward the tree line.

Easing Haku down into a sitting position against a tree well out of sight of the fight, Arata called over his shoulder as he turned to leave, "Don't run anywhere." The redhead was stopped by the feeling of Haku gripping his forearm.

The rogue nin wore a severe look on his face as he did his best to strain out a warning between ragged breaths, "Vibrations. I just figured it out. He sees you when he's under by your vibrations. Just… be sure to watch the grass." Arata made to ask what he meant, but Haku's head was already slumped in unconsciousness. After checking to be sure the young man was only unconscious, the Genin turned and made for the sounds of battle.

This day had been full of inconveniences. First, Obutsu had had to contest with Haku before he could complete the contract on the bridge builder. Then the fool had actually proved himself to be worth something in a fight. And now, worst of all, these brats had shown up to take his prize while he was still busy killing it! Obutsu had been hoping to kill all of them anyway, but not all at once. Add to all of that the fact that this orange one wouldn't get the hell off of him! Every time Obutsu would try to back away to escape into the ground, _another_ shadow clone would try to jump him. They weren't particularly hard to kill, but Obutsu's patience was certainly wearing thin. This was not helped when a particularly large group leapt forward to tackle the man.

Naruto gleefully followed his clones after the toppling man, leaping onto the dog pile in order to get his own shot at the jerk that had hurt Haku. He wondered if this was going to be as easy as defeating Mizuki. His thoughts were cut short when a powerful arm shot out of the mound of bodies to grab him by the throat, gripping his neck with enough force to break Naruto's concentration and dissolve the remaining clones, already weak from the blonde's depleted chakra supply.

"Was that it?" Obutsu demanded, tightening his grip, "Just pile on and hope for the best?"

"Nah," Naruto choked out, "In case the orange isn't a clue, I'm a distraction."

Obutsu's eyes widened behind their goggles at the announcement and barely caught the slight metallic sparkle passing his field of vision before he realized what it was. By then though, the razor wire was already around his neck. Landing with her knees braced against Obutsu's back, Sakura pulled hard against the wire in her hands. Were it not for the high collar of the man's jacket, the kunoichi might have drawn blood, but instead she only managed to force Obutsu's throat shut. Panic flashing into the rogue nin's mind, Obutsu dropped Naruto and brought all his attention to whatever new creature had decided to make his life a living nightmare. Collapsing on the ground, gasping in air through his bruised larynx, Naruto made to get up and aid his teammate but found himself collapsing back to the ground, pain shooting up through his right ankle.

"Crap!" he hissed to himself, "Guess infusing chakra to your feet for combat is trickier than it looks."

As Naruto tried to make his way to his feet, Sakura found herself in a surreal rodeo as she held on for dear life against a struggling Obutsu. The girl had leverage, but her opponent was clearly many times stronger than her. Bouncing up and down as her mount stumbled around the field, Sakura gritted her teeth and tightened her grip. Doing her best to keep the man from inching his fingers under the wire around his throat, the Genin wasn't prepared when Obutsu pitched forward and slung the girl ahead through the air. Righting herself in mid-flight, Sakura landed next to Naruto and noticed how the blonde was favoring his left leg.

"Well, so much for Plan A," sighed the Kunoichi.

"We had a plan?" asked Naruto, mock confusion in his voice.

"Yeah," the girl answered, "Winning."

"Maaaan," Naruto whined, "what's Plan B then?"

"Not dying until sensei gets here."

"Oh. Lets try harder on Plan B."

How many brats did they have left? Regardless, Obutsu wasn't about to lose to a group of snot nosed brats. Forming his hands into the proper seals, the man completed the jutsu and disappeared into the ground leaving the two astonished Genin to worry at where he'd gone.

"Sakura," Naruto hissed, "Remember that jutsu Kakashi sensei used on Sasuke during the bell test? I think this guy is using something like that."

Sakura grimaced at Naruto's grasp of the obvious. Even if he was right, this didn't add up. Kakashi had revealed that there was a weakness to the jutsu he had used. Once under, one could only move a short distance. Also, as the technique used chakra, the stress it put on the body used up one's air supply quickly. If their opponent was still under, he would need to come up for air soon, which meant the two of them had limited time to act.

Grabbing Naruto's arm Sakura turned and took off, pulling her teammate behind her, "Come on Naruto, we have to get out of range while he's still blind."

Casting a look behind her, Sakura suddenly felt as if she were missing something. Hearing the sound of Obutsu rising from the ground in front of her confirmed her fears. It mad sense really. Why use a jutsu a Genin could see the flaws in? He had been waiting for her to make this mistake and she'd fallen right into it. All she could do now was cut her losses. Extending her arm forcefully, Sakura pushed Naruto to the side and did her best to dodge in the opposite direction. Too slow though. She knew it too. Whoever this was they were fighting was going to get a shot at one of them, and the kunoichi could see through the false slow in time created by the adrenaline in her system that the man's hulking form was aimed in her direction.

Sakura felt the wind being knocked from her, but it wasn't a rough blow of anger, rather, it had been something akin to a tackle. Arata had finally made it back to the fight. With instinctual agility, the boy turned in the air to place himself below his teammate, cushioning her fall with his own body. With no time for thanks, both Genin scrambled to their feet and readied themselves for an attack, but Obutsu was already gone.

"The heck was that?" demanded the redhead.

"He's using an earth based jutsu," Sakura answered, "We need to form a defensive ring. Keep it tight so he can't get between us."

Not ones to argue with the girl's tactical appraisals, Naruto and Arata put their backs to their teammates', the three keeping their eyes open for the inevitable attack.

"Any ideas?" Arata asked, the tension of waiting straining his voice.

"Keep on the defensive until Sensei arrives," Sakura replied, unsure of what else they could do. The whistle of its flight preceded a kunai flying through the air. Naruto felt the projectile more than he saw it and ducked, pulling Arata down with him as the kunai flew on.

"I don't think we can wait that long," Naruto commented just before Sakura found herself deflecting a second projectile with a recently drawn kunai.

"I know, but we can't split up until we know how to counter his jutsu," warned the kunoichi, "If I could only figure out how he targets us when he's underground."

Haku's words came back in sudden clarity.

"The vibrations!" Arata snapped, "Haku said-"

"Who's Haku?" Sakura demanded.

Arata found himself leaping alongside his teammates as a pair of throwing knives emerged from the mists to whiz beneath their collective feet before responding, "The guy we saved."

"That was a guy?" Sakura blanched, "He was prettier than m- I mean Ino!"

"You can trade fashion tips later Sakura," Naruto quipped, landing poorly on his injured ankle, "Get on with it Arata!"

"Oh- right," Arata said as he felt a shuriken nick his ear before the projectile disappeared into the silver beyond, "Haku said something about this guy seeing us with vibrations."

Sakura barely had time to dodge the next piece of flying aggression when she halted for too long, the pieces in her mind finally coming together. That was how he knew where they were. Something about the jutsu could feel their vibrations. That's how he could see them. Now that she knew how he followed them, she could form a real plan, and she could already feel one percolating in the back of her mind.

"Naruto. Arata," Sakura said, keeping her voice low.

She was pretty sure the man couldn't hear their voices underground, but she wasn't about to take that chance, "I have an idea. When I run, keep formation. I want to be his prime target."

"Sakura," Naruto argued, "Let me send a shadow clone."

"No," the kunoichi refused, "He'll feel the extra pair of feet and know. I'm in the best shape. I'm the only one for the job." Her teammates made to argue as they ducked another flying weapon, but Sakura was already off and running.

Before the blonde could go after her, Arata grabbed his arm and forced him to stay, "Trust her Naruto." Fear filled eyes of cerulean and emerald watched their teammate move with a purpose.

Obutsu felt the change through the earth. He'd finally broken one. Now came the chase. Forcing more chakra into his jutsu, the Land Shark sped up, homing in for the kill.

Her heart pounding in her ears and heaving breaths shaking her frame, Sakura ran for all she was worth. She had to get her speed up. More importantly, she had to get _his _speed up. The kunoichi knew from the direction of the last attack that their assailant was behind her and that by now he must be giving chase. She just hoped she could make it to her target before he caught her. As she saw her destination looming in the distance, Sakura began to run through a series of hand seals. Seals that the Genin knew Obutsu couldn't see. His loss. Reaching her goal, the kunoichi skidded to a halt and bent forward, slamming her hands against the ground after finishing the final seal.

The young girl's voice rang through the mists as she called out, "Sawa Kansei Jutsu!(4)" Immediately, the ground surrounding the kunoichi began to shift and churn. In the span of a heartbeat, dry earth became sucking mud as a miniature bog formed under the girl's feet. The massive stump behind her, the key to her plan, began to list as the ground supporting some of its roots began to slip from underneath it, no longer able to hold it's weight. This drove more of the trunk underground, aiding Sakura in her plot.

Even had he felt the change, Obutsu could have done nothing. He was going too fast as it was. He had known the tree was there, but he had planned to dodge around it in his pursuit. Unfortunately, that plan had involved the earth in front of him being solid. The quagmire he slammed into was far from that. The rogue nin had geared his jutsu to carry him through the dry and tightly packed earth of the field. The amount of chakra that took had been finely measured and applied. He could increase the flow of chakra for stone or lessen it for certain softer materials, but he needed forewarning. He had none when he felt his body enter the slime that had only moments before been solid ground. The technique, overpowered by the hard earth it had to break through and his attempts to run the girl down now shot him forward like a bullet. Straining to get back under control, Obutsu pulled his chakra level back as fast as he could not realizing there would not be nearly enough left to move the roots of the tree he had forgotten all about in his panic.

The only evidence Sakura saw that her plan had worked was the sudden and violent vibration of the tree stump she had come to a halt in front of. A trail of rather large bubbles leading towards the former oak tree began to form in the quagmire. Sakura recalled out of nowhere reading once that oak was one of the hardest of all woods. For her sake, she certainly hoped so. Grinning at the cheers of Naruto and the approving look in the eyes of Arata, the girl began to pull her feet from the sucking mud and make her way over to them. Seeing the exuberance her teammate's eyes turn to terror, Sakura snapped her head around to look behind her.

The kunoichi was suddenly a child again as a nightmare from her younger years began to play out. Rising from the bog, a ghoul pulled its way to the surface, mud clinging from its form and mixing with the bright red of blood seeping from a gash opened across its forehead. Gurgled breaths rasped from within the form's chest as the creature seethed with rage, its hand revealing eyes alight with wrath as it wiped its bulging sockets clean. As Obutsu stepped forward, the cylinder of the filter on his mask swinging by a thread and dripping slime back into the mire, Sakura's conscious mind reminded her that the terror that stood before her was an enemy nin and far more dangerous than the dreams her parents had once so gallantly chased away. Turning to run, Sakura felt Obutsu's hand grasp her hair in a vice-like grip before pulling back painfully hard. Slinging the girl around by her scalp, Obutsu slammed the kunoichi's head against the trunk of the tree with sickening force. Sakura let out an anguished cry as her vision blurred and she tasted iron.

Ripping his mask off with his free hand, Obutsu revealed a disturbingly pale and ugly face contorted into a hate filled scowl.

"My re-breather!" Obutsu spat through rotten teeth, "You broke my re-breather! Do you know how many men I had to kill to afford that thing?!" As he spoke, the monster pulled the girl's head back again before bashing her skull once more against the creaking wood of the tree stump. Her head screaming and her ears ringing, Sakura could only note the metallic taste had intensified before she blacked out.

Making to repeat the process again, Obutsu noticed from the corner of his vision her teammates rushing to her aid.

"I'll kill you!" was Naruto's battle cry as he hobbled forward, Arata taking the lead.

Sneering at their bravado, Obutsu flung the girl once again by her hair toward the pair, her limp form flying past Arata to collide with Naruto and tackle him to the ground. Continuing forward, Arata made to slow the approaching man down. Leaping into the air, the redhead brandished a kunai. Without even breaking stride, Obutsu's superior skill allowed him to grab the boy's wrist and hurl the Genin behind him and into the muck. Continuing towards his prey, Obutsu reached Naruto, the blonde still struggling to get Sakura's body off while trying to get to his feet with one leg. The Genin had only managed to force Sakura away from their attacker when Obutsu's boot came down against his head. Lights danced in front of Naruto's eyes. Feeling the boot a second time, the boy realized he'd failed. He was going to die. His friends were going to die. Sakura…

The blonde's eyes flashed red as they stared up at Obutsu, bloodlust written in their gaze. A low growl rumbled from within the boy's chest. The rouge nin didn't like the looks of that.

"Enough tricks!" Obutsu spat as he swung his boot against the Genin's skull for a final time. Naruto twitched and the growl echoed again, but the blonde lay still as his eyes closed.

Breathing heavily, Obutsu began to turn to deal with the last of the trio but felt the blow of a child's full bodyweight against his back.

Hooking his elbow around the older man's neck, Arata braced his other arm against the back of the man's head and completed the chokehold, holding on for dear life, "Leave them alone!"

Thrashing about, cursing the boy for using the same trick, Obutsu tried to remove the weight on his back. Again and again, the rogue nin slung his elbow back into Arata's rib cage, the boy grunting in pain at each blow, but still maintaining his grip. Reaching around, Obutsu finally grasped the hem of the Genin's jacket and flung the boy around and forward, ripping him from his hold on Obutsu's neck. The man's strength was so great that Arata was propelled forward and out of his own coat, landing back in the mire he had so recently pulled himself from. Hearing the sound of running footsteps, Obutsu turned to see a pair of forms identical to his former rider fleeing into the mists, carrying the boy's teammates.

It had worked. Well… sort of. He _had _managed to distract this psychopath. He had also managed to get his shadow clones past the struggling man while he was occupied with maintaining his airflow. Arata had even managed to get distance between him and the giant to ease his escape. He just hadn't planned on him throwing him back into the miniature bog, at least not headfirst. He'd been able to pull himself free the first time but only because he'd landed well. Now he was half buried in the stuff… and it was his upper half. Clawing his way to the surface, the Genin began to struggle towards dry land, trying to shake his head to clear his vision. He was almost there too, but Obutsu wasn't one to be patient. Hearing a heavy weight splash into the mud in front of him, Arata felt himself being lifted by his shirt a foot and a half above the ground.

Stinking breath stung the boy's nostrils as Obutsu spoke, "No! No getting away! You're not getting away with ruining this for me!" A powerful backhand to Arata's face propelled him to Obutsu's side, the redhead's groaning form finally landing on dry land. Trying to reach his feet, the Genin suddenly couldn't breathe as he was yanked up from behind, his own weight strangling him with his collar. A powerful grip latched onto Arata's wrist and wrenched his right arm behind his back. The hand holding the back of his shirt now forced the struggling boy forward, slamming the redhead against the tree with enough force to move it slightly, it's foundation still uncertain.

Arata's thrashing form now held in place against the ruined trunk by an arm lock, the other hand let go and was replaced quickly by the prick of a newly drawn dagger. The Genin's thrashings lessened immediately.

"That's a good lad," Obutsu breathed into his ear, "Now you're going to help me out. You see, you've cost me every win I've had a chance at today, so here's what's going to happen: I'm going to start cutting into you," at this Arata stiffened as he felt the blade inch barely into his skin, a crimson trickle appearing on the steel, "and you are going to scream as loud as you can until that precious little instructor you three have been gabbing about gets here. I do hope for your sake he's in some kind of fighting condition, but considering he just had it out with Zabuza, I doubt it. Either way, I'm going to kill him, and you, and your friends, and then I'm getting paid and leaving this waist of space you call a country! Now… shall we begin?"

_Please understand. I don't enjoy this, but what I do is necessary. I suspect you will thank me later. Now, shall we begin again?_

Arata screamed. Even before Obutsu could do anything, Arata screamed with every ounce of air in his lungs. The shriek resonated with a fear the rogue nin had never heard in any of his victims. There were no words or pleadings, only a howl of abject terror given by those who had given all sense and control over to gibbering terror. The child's thrashings began anew, and Obutsu had to pull the knife back to avoid the boy forcing it into his own back and ending his captor's plan. The Genin kept screaming, and Obutsu found himself struggling to keep the child under control. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the screaming stopped, Arata collapsing motionless against the tree.

"What the hell kid?" Obutsu spat. As if to answer him, the Genin's head snapped back up, and motion returned to his body. Lifting his leg, the redhead braced his foot against the tree and, with the false traction of Chakra, he began to run up the base, pushing Obutsu back with the force. With the rogue nin's arm lock still firm, the boy's limb began to bend back and back until, with a disturbing pop, his shoulder left its socket. Without even a hint he had felt the departure of his joint from its natural place, the boy continued running up until he was horizontal with the man's head. Once at that level, he kicked off and soared over Obutsu's shoulders and landed behind him, the force pulling the Genin's wrist from Obutsu's hand, his grip slackened from the shock of what he'd just witnessed. Arata sprung back and away, his right arm hanging loosely from his frame.

Obutsu spun to face the boy and saw his lanky form crouching on the ground, his head turned to examine his injured shoulder, as if unable to understand why his arm no longer conformed to his will. When the child's head jerked to look forward again, Obutsu looked him in the eye, and midnight stared back at him.

Were it possible for one's pupils to open enough to take up the entire eye, the obsidian orbs focused on Obutsu would have resembled something like that. There were no whites or irises left to the eyes, only a deep, glassy black. One could not perceive movement in the orbs, but Obutsu felt their gaze upon him all the same, and it chilled him for some reason. The boy's upper lip began to curl back in a feral grin, reminding his opponent of a dog baring its fangs. It might not have had such a striking resemblance had the teeth the smile revealed not mirrored those of an animal so closely. Massive and inhuman canines shined white from within the child's mouth. That sight alone caused Obutsu to hesitate, but what the boy did next had him take a step back.

Turning his attention back to his injury, the redhead's working hand flew to his crippled arm and began to work the shoulder around its empty socket. Obutsu stood speechless as he watched the boy rotate the limb forward and then backward before seeming to finally decide on a favored position. With a wet crack, the shoulder was forced back into place, the only sign of pain on the boys face being the faint twitch of his right eye, the smile never faltering, even growing slightly wider for a moment.

Flexing the newly repositioned limb, the boy's face turned back to Obutsu, and he once again felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise involuntarily as he heard the boy speak, "You look tougher than the last ones. I hope so. You'll have to last considering there's only one of you." Obutsu didn't know what to make of this. The boy's voice had changed. The sound was similar, but more clipped and with almost a whisper quality to it.

The rogue nin had had just about enough surprises that day, and his pride boiled in the back of his mind at the fact that this child scared- no, caused him to hesitate. He was going to kill whatever this kid was and shut that freaking mouth of his. He forced a grin onto his face and decided he might even keep those teeth of his. His fingered the knife still in his hand, feeling the slickness of his palm. Most likely from the mud. Definitely not from sweat. Definitely. Still, he'd be sure this time. No sense charging what you don't know. Sheathing the knife, Obutsu began to form seals. The boy in front of him regarded the man curiously, his head twitching and tilting like an animal might regard an oddity. The mists surrounding the pair began to twist and thicken, each seeing their partners disappearing in the fog.

An impenetrable grey wall now a few feet from Obutsu's face, the rogue nin smiled a bit more comfortably and began to move. As quietly as his decades of experience allowed him to, he crept through the mist. He had to hand it to Zabuza. The fool knew a good trick when he saw one. The mists had been thinned somewhat by the jutsu that freak Haku had used, but Obutsu had managed to concentrate the last of the mists into a smaller area. Now he only had to find the boy, no doubt cowering after being blinded, and kill him. The man doubted he had enough left in his reserves to finish off Kakashi, but he didn't care. One body would be prize enough for today. Running through a handful of seals, the rogue nin set about finding the boy. His re-breather might have been totaled, forcing him to stay above ground, but part of the jutsu was still useful. Finishing the fraction of the technique, Obutsu began to listen for the boy. He had never been able to describe this part of the jutsu in words. It felt like a combination of touch and hearing. Vibrations traveled easily through the earth. He'd feel them resonate through him. Up his legs, rattling along his spine, and always ending at his ears, beating out a rhythm that showed him the world, or at least any part connected to the ground. It took concentration, but he was rarely interrupted while underground. Through his vibrating sight, he saw him. The boy wasn't moving, but even the shifting of weight from one foot to the other was enough. Obutsu circled to the child's left and began to move in.

Picking up speed, he drew his blade and readied himself for the attack. A moment before the kill, the boy's shape became obvious in the shadows of the fog. He was still facing forward. He'd never see it coming. Right as Obutsu brought his weapon up to strike, he felt it again. The gaze. He saw in the clearing mist the boy's head turned ever so slightly to the left, just enough to bring his opponent into view. He saw those eyes, those accursed black eyes, and part of him recoiled, calling in the back of his mind to retreat. But it was too late. He was committed to the attack and his momentum kept him going. A different voice howled in triumph as he saw the foolish child raise his left arm to block the strike. He lashed out, slashing at the boy's wrist, intent on removing his opponent's hand. His blade struck home against the boy's arm… and stuck. A metallic note resounded from where the knife met the Genin's forearm. Grinning the same savage smile, the boy stopped the blow and pushed back, catching a surprised Obutsu off guard and forcing him backwards a step. Stepping after him, the Genin's right hand shot under the long sleeve of the arm he had just blocked with and withdrew a massive dagger of his own. Treating the drawing of the blade and his attack as the same motion, the knife flashed forward. Unable to parry, the blow coming from inside his guard, Obutsu felt his chest come alight with pain as a deep gash was opened up across his torso. Stumbling back, he tried to bring his dagger forward, but saw the Genin's left arm lash out and backhand his wrist, forcing him to open his hand and drop the blade. Obutsu knew he had to get away and regroup. Staggering backwards, the rogue nin brought his arms up into a defensive stance and readied himself to fight the boy back. The attack didn't come, however, as the boy simply leapt backwards and disappeared into the mists.

"Damn you, hold still!" Obutsu called out, trying to keep his voice from shaking. His chest ached with the wound. The boy hadn't dug deep enough to hit anything vital, but he was losing more blood than he cared to. He wanted to form the jutsu again, wanted to find the brat, but he couldn't. He suspected lowering his guard for a second would be a mistake.

"You tried to lie to me," the boy's voice came from the fog, "You tried to hide in a silver lie and kill me you did." What the hell was this kid getting at now? Obutsu didn't know, but he didn't like the sound of the boy's voice. It was becoming more unnerving with every word.

"But you can't lie to my eyes. Even closed they show me secrets they do," the child's voice had taken on an almost singsong quality, "They show me such a beautiful world of red and blue. I try to paint it with more red. It's my favorite color. But the red just keeps fading, so I have to get more. My eyes tell me other things too you know. They tell me you're afraid of me."

"Why should I be afraid of a child?" Obutsu spat back with more courage than he felt, still backing away from the voice even though it seemed to keep changing locations, "Do you know how many children I've killed."

"Less than you'd brag I'd wager, and you _are_ afraid of me. The eyes tell me so," came the reply, "My nose too. I smell your sweat, your blood as well. You're loosing quite a lot of it now aren't you, but your heart just keeps pumping doesn't it? I know it does because my eyes show it to me, another secret your chest can't keep from me, let alone this silver lie you put up. I'm watching it beat, watching it get biiig, then small, biiiig, then small, biiiiig, then small. It's going faster now, but you aren't. You _are _afraid of me."

To hell with this, Obutsu was getting out of here.

Bringing his hands together into the seal to dismiss the fog so he could make an escape, Obutsu suddenly heard from just behind him, "And you should be." Yelping, Obutsu turned and lashed out at the voice with his left hand, slamming it into the unforgiving surface of the rotten log. He'd been so disorientated, he'd ended up back where he'd started. Cursing, he snatched his hand back and held it out in front of him to survey the damage. Flexing the hand open and shut to check for broken bones, the rogue nin was too distracted to hear the whistling of a flying object. Piercing the mists, leaving a corkscrew contrail in its path, a dagger flew forward and into Obutsu's opened hand with enough force to slam it backwards and against the tree, impaling it to the wood. Screeching at the pain, Obutsu didn't even notice that it was his own knife embedded in his palm.

Still screaming, the man barely had time to see the boy's form emerging from the mists, charging at him. Leaping into the air, obsidian eyes opened wide with excitement, the boy collided with Obutsu, tackling him back and against the tree. The aged trunk, already stressed from the battle, finally gave way, and, with a shriek of tearing wood, the log broke off just below the rogue nin's knee, collapsing backwards into the mire that still bubbled on the other side of the stump. Too distracted by the agony in his hand and the screaming pain in his chest from the boy's weight against his wound, Obutsu barely registered his right arm being carried backwards by momentum, extending itself along the curve of the massive trunk. That was, until he felt his opponent bring down his second dagger, pinning his remaining hand to the log, the exotic blade sliding effortlessly through flesh, and bone, and eventually wood. Obutsu's screams took on an even higher pitch as he lay there, held in position by the boy sitting on his chest and the man's own skewered flesh. Terror ruled his mind as he stared up at his tormentor, seeing the same grin widening, the canines appearing to grow an even brighter white.

"Yes!" the boy practically yelled as he brought his hand to Obutsu's jaw, forcing him to look him in his midnight eyes, "Yes! Scream. Please scream. Yours aren't like the last ones, but I had my eyes open then, so these will do. Now scream louder!"

Cowed by the words, Obutsu could only tremble as he asked, "What kind of demon are you?" The smile disappeared from his opponent's face immediately and was replaced by a look of confusion. Another, somehow more sinister smirk curled the boy's lips, revealing just the tips of his "fangs". Leaning forward, the boy brought his head even with Obutsu's, his mouth just inches from his ear.

The rogue nin felt the boy's warm breathe whisper in his ear as he answered in a bemused tone, "Demon? Demon sir? I'm no demon. I fear I'm far too man-made a monster for that."

Pulling his head back, the feral smile returned as he spoke again, waving his hand at Obutsu's impaled limbs, "Now, seeing as my weapons are otherwise occupied, you'll forgive me for taking a more "hands on" approach." Pulling his arm back, the child suddenly brought it forward again, slamming his fist against his victim's face. Obutsu cried out at the strike, partly from the blow to his face, and partly from the stress the attack made on his palms. Another blow came from the opposite direction, and the rogue nin's nose sprayed a gout of blood as it was broken. The next fist collided with the same spot, sending a second spray of crimson to the other side of Obutsu's face. The blows continued to rain down, the only sounds in the mists being the meaty collisions of knuckle and skull, and the cries of anguish from the skull's owner.

* * *

Faster. He had to move faster. Forcing more chakra into his legs, Kakashi powered forward. He knew his injured ankle probably couldn't take it, but this wasn't the time for caution. He'd felt his heart nearly stop when an exhausted Sasuke had arrived at the bridge, calling in alarm to his teacher. The Jouniin had thought Zabuza too weakened to return so soon, but the traitor nin's ally's presence had weighed on his mind. It had been a gamble to split his forces between training and guard duty, and Kakashi had lost. He felt the bark beneath his feet crack each time he landed, evidence that he was pushing his luck with his current speed.

Sasuke had managed to follow after him, barely keeping up with his sensei's staggered pace, the Jouniin's speed slowed by his injuries. By the time they had come upon Naruto and Sakura's unconscious forms, the Genin had reached his limits. Eyes widening at their conditions, Kakashi had left Sasuke to guard the pair while he went to find Arata. He had only a fleeting thought as to why their wounds were already hastily bandaged before he was off towards where Sasuke had said the sounds came from. His fears confirmed in his mind, Kakashi charged forward.

"Please," Kakashi's mind raced, "Don't be dead. Not another. I can't take failing another." Reaching up, he pulled his headband back and opened his left eye, feeling it ache at being reactivated so soon. His stomach flipped as he made out the approaching fog. Zabuza couldn't… no, but he had the sinking feeling that he'd still find Arata in those mists. Without hesitation, Kakashi leapt into the haze and onto the field, activating his Sharingan and searching desperately for his pupil's chakra signature.

* * *

Blood was beginning to leak from Obutsu's mouth now, spilling over his lips with each strike. He made no noise now, but this only made the boy strike harder, as if certain he could bring the screams back with more effort. The cries of pain had been replaced with exuberant grunts of effort from the child with each blow he landed. Pulling his arm back to strike again, the Genin suddenly felt resistance. His head flying back, his eyes saw a strong hand now holding his arm firmly in place.

Kakashi had had no idea what to think of this. He'd barely recognized the mud-spattered creature lying atop the bloodied man as his own pupil, and the recognition shocked him. There were few things left in the world, Kakashi felt, that could surprise him, but the sight of a child astride a full grown nin, designated by the scarred headband strapped to his shoulder, beating him bloody with his bare hands was one of them. Getting closer, Kakashi saw the knives imbedded in the man's palms and shuddered. What had Arata done to this man? More importantly, how?

As he hurried over to the boy, Kakashi's Sharingan added another oddity. The boy's body was alight with chakra. The Jouniin had watched the boy and never seen this kind of ability. Rather, he'd chalked him up as having below average reserves, preparing to implement a special regiment to improve them. Now, Arata's entire frame reverberated with the energy. Kakashi didn't know what was happening, but he was going to find out. Making his way across the bog, Arata giving no signs as to even noticing him, the Jouniin shot his hand forward and caught the boy's arm to get his attention.

The Genin's head flying back to find out who had interrupted him, the instructor finally saw the boy's eyes. Staring into the black orbs, Kakashi saw the chakra patterns dancing across them and realized that they were the focus of the energy. The look in the eyes was almost more shocking. A predator stared back at Kakashi, flecks of foam in the corners of his mouth. Breathing heavy, Arata looked ready to turn his attention to his sensei for stopping him.

"Arata," Kakashi said sternly, shaking his arm, "Arata, stop this! What's gotten into you?"

The eye's kept their menacing glare for a moment, the boy's chest rising and falling as he panted. Then they seemed to falter, softening for an instant as Arata's face went slack.

"Ka…ka…shi?" he breathed before falling forward into his surprised sensei's arms. Cradling the boy's now limp frame, Kakashi walked across the surface of the mire and laid him out on dry land. Giving up on making sense of anything for the time being, the Jouniin turned and drew a weapon. He wasn't about to let another enemy get away. Approaching the man, Kakashi finally recognized him. The Jouniin was one of the few to ever see a picture of the elusive Obutsu without his mask, but Kakashi identified the mangled face all the same. One of the most wanted criminals of the Country of Earth now lay before Kakashi a beaten man in a disturbingly literal fashion. He made ready to strike the killing blow to the nin pinned to the sinking log but halted.

Obutsu was already dead.

Sighing a final time, Kakashi retrieved the dagger he recognized as belonging to Arata from the nin's palm, the blade leaving behind a sucking noise as it was pulled free. Securing the knife, Kakashi turned and made his way to his student's body. Picking him up, the Jouniin began to hurry through the thinning fog towards the house, leaving Obutsu's body to sink beneath the slowly hardening swamp and be forgotten.

* * *

1 please note that any comments made by Obutsu do not reflect the beliefs of the writer but rather were meant to further establish him as a dislikable villian.

2 A Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death (man the Japanese can fit a lot into two words :))

3 (literally) Earth Travel Jutsu

4Swamp Trap Justu (Okay, Sakura never used this jutsu, but I feel it fits her usually-more-tactical-than-offensive style, and its small size makes sense for a Genin rather than the huge bog usually created by pervy-sage)

Hmmm, I think I've explained all that needed to be explained and nothing I'm sure my readers want explained, so my work here is done. Clearly, Arata gots' issues, the nature of which you will just have to wait to discover. I did my best to make said issues genuinely scary or at least creepy, but I've never written a character like that so please tell me what I did right or wrong and what, in general you want more/less of. I've also never had to think through a full fight scene before, so any advice or fanatical praise would be great too. Special thanks to top for offering support during this chapter and continuing thanks to all who continue to read.


	11. Best Friends are Those You Can Wound

Disclaimer: I own nossing! I see nossing! And I enjoy a Hogan's Heroes reference.

* * *

**Best Friends are Those You Can Wound**

Kakashi hated Déjà vu. He really did. Not because the feeling of a memory taking place at the same moment as a similar situation was in and of itself bad, but rather he never felt Déjà vu when he really wanted to. He never got to repeat the exact feeling of holding a certain woman in his arms. He never got to relish the return of the flavor of a particularly good bowl of ramen to his mouth. Even when he found five dollars on the street, memories of past chance currency discoveries did not come flooding back. However, with a small redheaded child lying unconscious next to him, the Jouniin could most certainly relate to the moment.

Arata's ribcage, visible even through his undershirt, the blankets kept at mid-chest, rose and fell as he slept. His sensei idly wondered when the diet Nasu had put together would begin to take effect. Despite eating better in the last month than he most likely had in many years, the boy had yet to put an ounce of fat on his body, the only visible changes being that Arata's eyes no longer appeared quite as sunken, and a slight increase in the boy's stringy muscles. The Jouniin noted that there were a number of women that might very well be willing to kill for that metabolism.

Next to the boy were his things. His jacket, having been fetched from the recent battlefield by one of his teammates, had been cleaned and folded by tsunami after the Genin's instructor had _thoroughly _emptied it of the myriad of belongings Arata apparently kept on his person. More than a few meticulously hidden pockets were discovered, and Kakashi was oddly little surprised to find an impressive collection of tools of the boy's supposedly former trade still in his possession. How and why he kept the sandwiches so well hidden was still a mystery to Kakashi, but they had at least been delicious. Next to the coat was the boy's pack, though why he even needed it when he had a jacket was a thought Kakashi suspected the boy had often. On top of the pack lay the boy's cherished dagger. Kakashi had cleaned it of blood and repaired the cut in the sheath. The Jouniin had thought about taking a wet stone to it, but found the blade completely intact and devoid of the nicks that usually followed a battle. He had the feeling Arata wouldn't be keen to part with it when he awoke, as he was never keen to part with it period, and when he awoke the Jouniin would definitely be there. He would have to be.

Naruto had woken up a few hours after the fight and Sakura had followed suit just before midnight. Doctor Chuuko had been rushed over once the team had reached the house and had only left until around two in the morning. He had declared both of the Genin to have no permanent injuries, even marveling at the healing rate of the blonde, but had insisted on quickly knitting together whatever damage he could on Sakura's head to avoid complications. Arata, however, was a stranger tail. Chuuko had found his body to be severely exhausted, but no real damage other than a bruised rib or two. What had baffled him had been the boy's shoulder. According to the aged physician, it had been dislocated a few days ago. Almost certain he would have noticed such a thing, Kakashi had agreed that the illusion was a product of the boy's accelerated healing, an aspect the Jouniin was displeased to find out the doctor had been keeping from him. Though the wrinkled man had insisted that he thought the instructor had known, Kakashi had the sneaking suspicion that the doctor hadn't pushed to find out.

Kakashi gave a bored sigh as he reclined against the wall and drummed his fingers on his chest, his usual reading material having lost its luster in light of recent events. He'd been waiting for hours for the boy to wake up, and the Jouniin had refused to leave his side, only catching a small amount of halting sleep in the same room. He wished he could say that it was for purely altruistic reasons, but it wasn't. He needed to be sure that he was able to talk to Arata before anyone else did. There were a few questions the Nin needed cleared up, and the possible answers worried him.

A knock at the door caught the instructor's attention. Calling out that it wasn't locked, Kakashi watched as the door eased open.

Sakura popped her head into the room and said, "Sorry sensei, just checking on Arata." The Jouniin eyed his pupil. Slight bags had formed under her eyes from a mix of worry and a lack of sleep. Both she and Naruto had refused to rest until they knew Arata was okay. Kakashi was pleased that the team was beginning to bond, but logically, it was a mistake. He needed all of them to be at the ready.

"No change Sakura," her sensei answered, "but you really shouldn't worry. The doctor blamed exhaustion. I'm sure he'll be up and eyeing our wallets in no time. Until then, get a shower, it helps loosen the muscles after combat. Tell Naruto the same." The instructor also wanted the girl washed. Not only was caked mud still on her ankles, but the kunoichi had also yet to clean the dried blood from her hair. Her and Naruto's appearances were beginning to make their clients uneasy. The girl smiled at the attempt to cheer her up and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Sakura," the Jouniin's voice got the girl's attention, and she turned to her instructor, "I heard from Naruto and Sasuke that you did a good job handling the situation, and from what I can piece together, I think so too."

Sakura gave a sad smile, "I wish I could agree Sensei, but I just got my team hurt."

"But we're alive Sakura," the Jouniin corrected, "The first rule of combat is that people get hurt. Considering your opponent and the outcome, any Jouniin would be proud of the leadership you showed."  
The girl allowed herself a genuine smile, her shoulders rising with pride, "Thank you Sensei."

As the door closed behind Sakura, Kakashi was left once again wondering when Arata would ever wake up. The Jouniin was also wondering just what the Genin's answers would be regarding what his sensei had witnessed. Kakashi had a sneaking suspicion he already knew the truth though.

Somehow, Arata had a Keke Genkai. It was the only answer that fit properly. When he had found the boy, Kakashi's Sharingan had told the story. Arata's body had shown more chakra than the instructor had ever seen the child release. The focus of the chakra around the eyes had confirmed, in Kakashi's mind, that the boy had been making use of a Doujutsu. The fact that the Jouniin's own Doujutsu had been unable to read the technique had cemented the technique as being the product of a bloodline. For a fleeting moment after the battle, Kakashi had been struck with the chilling possibility that the boy might have been a vessel, a Jinchuriki, but he had dismissed the fear. The level of chakra, though impressive for his age, was nothing close to Kakashi's own limits, let alone what a Jinchuriki might be able to summon should the seal slip. A darker voice also reminded the Jouniin that the same fear that he had felt twelve years ago, the gut wrenching terror of instinctually knowing that you're facing something that justifiably sees you as little more than prey to be snuffed out at whim, wasn't present in the field, and for that part of him rejoiced. No, the excess chakra was a clear sign of a bloodline, but, of course, that came with its own limitations.

Having a Keke Genkai was a double-edged sword. To solidify one in a family required careful planning over many generations and eventually altered the genetics of the bearer at a fundamental level. There were even stories of clans breeding themselves out of existence, their genetic codes so alien to the average human that they ceased to be able to produce offspring with them, leading to the demise of the clan. Though these tales were usually dismissed as impossible, it was true that chakra control and access, though similar for the most part to that of a normal person, were usually dependant upon the bloodline jutsus of the shinobi's clan. The simple fact was that if one's biological structure was built around certain abilities, it simply wouldn't function properly without them. While chakra tended to flow freely during the use of a Keke Genkai, one who never even unlocked their abilities would find the limits of their own bodies stifled. That was why those in bloodline clans who couldn't master their ancestral gifts usually didn't rise very far as ninjas, let alone in their own clans. They simply couldn't muster the levels of physical strength and chakra that even average nin could summon. The crueler clans were even known to banish members that failed to unlock their bodies' inner strengths in order to ensure the overall genetic purity of the bloodline.

These discrepancies were usually unnoticeable, as most clans carefully trained their members from a young age how to best adjust to their own bodies' limits and excesses. Even Sasuke had spent enough time with his family to not be at a disadvantage, taking special care to continue in the proper patterns described by his clan's scrolls after the loss of the other Uchihas.

Arata, on the other hand, would be a different story. His lack of chakra reserves and inability to summon the proper levels of energy for higher jutsus suddenly made much more sense. Arata had always favored tactics that used little to no chakra. Kakashi had thought this was due to a lack of formal education, but now he wondered if Arata himself knew about his deficiencies, if not their source.

The Jouniin was beginning to wonder just how much Arata knew that he didn't. Since the very beginning, the boy had been secretive about his past. Chalking it up to trauma, Kakashi had let many unanswered questions slide, hoping the boy would answer them later of his own accord. But now, with no past to speak of, hidden abilities becoming evident, and perhaps a far more violent nature bubbling beneath the boy's jovial surface, Kakashi knew he had to get answers; one way or the other.

Still, the instructor reminded himself, trying to ease his ingrained paranoia, he wasn't ready to assume anything yet. The Jouniin had seen worse covers on insurgent shinobi, but he had also seen far better. It was very possible that the boy was a reject of a clan, or simply an orphan. It certainly might explain whatever trust issues the boy had, which would be something else he would have to tread carefully around when it came time to discern the truth.

However, something about the jutsu still bothered him. Why had Arata fallen unconscious? Why had he seemed to barely recognize Kakashi? The Jouniin had seen many jutsus that might fit the pattern, but a particular variety worried him. He hoped he was wrong.

Fingering a half empty pack of cigarettes, their continued existence guaranteed by their usefulness as a reminder to severely injure Azuma later, Kakashi leaned his head back and sighed.

"What are you Arata?" Kakashi asked the ceiling. As if to answer him, the boy bolted upright. However, that wasn't what had caught the Jouniin's attention. What garnered the instructor's immediate interest was that the Genin was screaming.

* * *

She heard the singing before she saw them. The victory song echoed down the night streets from two blocks away. It was only brought to a sudden end when the group barged through the door and was met with a burning glare.

Addressing no one in particular, the girl spoke, her words carrying the threat of an act of violence greater than any there had ever witnessed, "Where is he?"

After marshalling his courage, the lead of the group spoke up, "Now calm down. Before you say anything, you need to understand the haul. The whole group is going to eat for weeks on this."

"Where. Is. He. Geru?" was the only answer, the muscles in the young woman's folded arms tightening.

Cringing at her tone, the young man waved the handful of children in, the last and smallest of the group needing help from two companions to stay on his feet.

Sneering at the boy's condition, the girl stepped closer and bent forward until she was face to face with the child. It wasn't necessary. She could have smelled the liquor on the boy's breath from multiple feet away. The child gave a weak smile as his eyes tried to focus on the girl in front of him.

Straightening, waves of barely restrained anger flowing off of her form, the girl hooked a thumb towards the hall behind her, "Put him to bed and don't let me see you for a while." Obviously happy to have a chance to leave the room and it's clearly enraged inhabitant, the children beat as hasty a retreat as the smallest boy's intoxication would allow.

As their apparent leader moved to join them, the young woman's voice called venomously, "Geru! You stay."

After staring longingly after his retreating companions, Geru hung his head and turned to face his fate. As the door closed, the sound of colliding flesh was heard as the young woman's fist connected with Geru's jaw.

"Care to explain what the hell you were thinking?" the girl asked the boy as he pulled himself up from the floor.

"I was thinking about eating tomorrow," replied Geru, gently cupping his jaw to check for damage, "and the next day, and the next for a month. Now we can."

"Not like that we won't," scowled his companion.

"Oh come on," the boy objected, "you bet on drinking contests all the time."

"I don't participate," snapped the girl, the anger in her voice causing the pitch to rise, "and neither does he from now on. I don't even know what made you think you could pull something like that."

"What made me think?" Geru echoed, disbelief written on his face, "He downed a bottle of sake thinking it was juice, and it didn't even faze him! What the hell was I supposed to do? Ignore that?"

"You do if I tell you to!" his opponent spat back, "I told you not to touch it. I told you to leave it alone. But no! You had to cook up another of your stupid scams!"

"We're a street gang!" the young man nearly screamed, "Scams are what we do! You've been eating off of my stupid scams, and I haven't seen you complaining when you've had a full stomach! Just because he's your pet project doesn't mean he doesn't have to pull his weight."

Anger flared the young woman's eyes at the insinuation, "He's the best pickpocket in the city! It's funny how you seem to speak so highly of him when his pull buys you dinner. Besides, he'll be back to the game when the heat's off. You know Gato's off his rocker over the kid's last little visit to the eastside. You shouldn't even have let him out of the safe house!"

"Oh please. You're one to talk about putting him in danger," the young man snapped back, "I'm not the one who keeps letting him pull that crap at Gato's personal warehouses! If you could just let what he did go-."

The girl's expression flashed with a new level of rage, and the boy silenced himself, realizing he was pushing his luck.

Trying to approach from a different angle, the boy continued, "Three days Kishin. I haven't eaten in three days"

"None of us have Geru," the girl replied with little conviction, "It's been a bad couple of weeks."

"I know. That's why I did this," insisted the teenager, withdrawing a jingling bag from his jacket, "I could have gotten myself a good meal on this. I could have gotten the guys _and_ me a good meal, but I didn't. I brought it back. I did this for the group, not just to line my pockets. You have to believe me." The girl's face softened, hearing the desperation in Geru's voice. She knew what it must have taken to resist the temptation to skim the bag of coins he now offered her.

Hesitant to take the money, knowing where it came from, the girl dismissed the feeling and took the bag, hanging it from her belt.

"That doesn't count," the girl half-attempted to joke, "You know he can cook better with scraps than most real restaurants in town."

"I hope so," the boy agreed, "That's the only way we're making this last a month. Still, he did better than we'd hoped. He out drank three men in a row. Big men."

A slight scowl returned to Kishin's brow, "I still don't know why you thought it was okay to do that to him."

"You act like it was my idea," sighed Geru as he plopped down into a nearby seat.

"What?" the girl asked, confusion written on her face. Geru faltered, as if realizing he'd said too much.

The return of a glare that threatened agony and the careful cracking of a knuckle or two motivated him to go on, "He offered. He'd overheard us arguing over his- uh- constitution and told me he was willing to give the plan a shot."

"Why?" the young woman asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Why else?" her companion answered, as if it were obvious, "We all haven't eaten in three days. He's the only one who hasn't slept in that long. You know he refuses to sleep when he feels the dreams coming. It's been three weeks. He was due."

"He chose this," the girl sighed, rubbing her temples, "to get to sleep?"

"The twerp's a smart kid," Geru confirmed, fishing around in his pocket for a worn and dirty pack of cigarettes, "He's seen enough winos passed out in the street to make the connection. I think he just wanted to get through one night without bolting up screaming."

Taking an offered smoke, the girl slid it between her lips, sat down at the table between the two, and asked, "Why didn't he come to me?"

Using a lamp on the table as a light, Geru took a drag and replied, smoke billowing past his lips, "You know he hates to worry you. You keep trying to toughen him up, but there's just somethin' in him that makes him go stupid when bein' a weight on anybody is involved. I think getting us food money was how he justified the move to himself."

Crossing her fingers, the girl concentrated and a small flame leapt from her fingertips to light her cigarette, "And I'm sure you had nothing to do with that."

Geru glowered through the haze hovering over the table at the accusation, "And if I did? We get to eat, and once a month he actually gets a full night's rest. If you want an apology, you can go to hell. I'm sick of you talking down to me."

Kishin was ready to reply with a mix of words and fists when the two both had their attentions turned to the hallway and the screams running down it.

Getting up and hurrying to the source of the noise, the girl spat over her shoulder, "Maybe that's his thank you now."

Pushing her way past the number of youths poking their heads out of the doorways of the dilapidated hallway, Kishin made her way to the back, making a mental note to hurt whoever had just suggested gagging "the nutter". A girl a few years the young woman's junior stood outside the doorway to Kishin's destination.

Clearly unnerved, she simply babbled at the approaching teen, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! We can't make him stop. He just keeps screaming."

Gently moving the girl aside, Kishin pushed the door open and was met with the sight of two boy's trying to hold the struggling form of another down.

"Off of him," the girl ordered above the screams. The pair retreated from the child, and Kishin stepped forward.

Kneeling down at the boy's side, the girl didn't hesitate before pulling back with her right arm and slugging the boy across the face. The struggling and screaming came to an abrupt halt.

Hooking a thumb towards the door, the young woman said, "Out." Understanding perfectly, the pair of boys hurried out of the room, closing the door behind them.

As the boy sat up, he was still trembling as he began to sob into his hands. Sighing, the girl calmly sat down beside him, as if used to the movements. Reaching up, the young woman plucked the cigarette from between her lips and nudged the boy's shaking form.

"Hey," she called with gentleness usually alien to her character, "hey." The child looked up, his unkempt red hair hanging over his bloodshot and watery eyes.

Offering the burning tube, the girl said, "Here, it'll stop the shakes."

Taking the cigarette, the young boy pushed it into his mouth and took a long drag, coughing slightly at the burning smoke as a small cloud of the haze rose from the boy's form. True to the girl's words, the child's trembling ceased.

Offered the cigarette back, the girl refused it, "Keep it. Geru's always suck. But if I catch you with another I'll make you eat it while it's still lit."

With the cigarette back in his lips, the orange ember of the tip bobbing as he spoke, the boy began to talk, his eyes staring forward blankly, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" the girl replied casually, "Having a nightmare? You can't help it."

"I just-," the boy began, his breath hitching in his throat and his words slurring from his earlier activities, "I just can't stop them. He's coming for me. I know he is, and my dreams keep reminding me." Kishin arched any eyebrow. The boy never talked about his dreams. She guessed she had the copious amounts of alcohol running through his veins to thank for that.

"And here I thought you were just touched in the head," the girl commented, "Now we're getting somewhere. So, who do we kick the crap out of so you can sleep?"

The boy stiffened and shook his head violently, a bit of ash breaking off of his smoke, "No no no no. You can't know. You can't! He'll come for you too. I shouldn't even be here."

"You're not going anywhere," the girl cut him off, "And we'll come drag you back to this hellhole if we have to. You're the best thief we've got. We're not giving that up over a little mortal danger." The boy nodded his concession weakly, ignoring the attempt at humor.

Kishin drummed her fingers on the hilt of one of her blades, trying to think of what to say, when an idea hit her. She didn't like parting with it, but she did have two, and when needs must…

Unhooking a dagger from her belt, the girl held it up in front of the boy's eyes, getting his attention, "Look here. You know how old this thing is? You know how many people it's killed?" The child shook his head.

"Neither does my family," the girl continued, "We lost count on both accounts. Now listen. You wanna be stupid and turn down our help? Fine. But at least take this. The next time he comes for you, dream or otherwise, you gut his ass. You got me? You gut him like a pig. You don't, and you'll shame the lot of us."

The boy stared in disbelief at the offer, "I can't. It's your favorite."

"I've got two," Kishin assured him, "Now take it. You lose her, though, and her brother's gonna spill your guts on the coble stones. Keep our arrangement to yourself too. I got a reputation you know."

Hesitantly, the boy took the sheathed blade and held it to his chest, "Thank you."

"Meh," the girl said, waving the act off, "Don't think you aren't gonna earn it. The heat's almost off on your last trip to the eastside, and there are a number of wallets begging for your magic fingers. Now get some sleep. I'll show you how to use it for a proper haircut in the morning. Oh, and if I find you drinking again, I'll make those nightmares the least of your worries." The redhead nodded and lay back onto his mat.

As Kishin quietly let herself out a number of minutes later, she was met with Geru standing outside the door, staring at his feet.

"He all right?" the boy asked sheepishly.

"Yeah," the girl answered, letting go of a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, "I think I might have solved the problem too, so there goes your excuse for a meal ticket."

Flinching at the words, Geru mumbled, "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to- I just- I got greedy… and desperate."

"You got hungry," Kishin corrected, "We all do. Just think things through next time and get some sleep." Geru smiled cautiously at his friend, the two's shared glance confirming no permanent harm had been done. Turning, the pair parted ways toward their separate sleeping places, leaving the boy fast asleep in the room behind them, tightly gripping his newfound nightly companion.

* * *

Arata now sat with his back against the wall, holding the treasured blade against his chest, his knuckles whitening against the grip. He eyed the pack of cigarettes in Kakashi's hand, but didn't ask. The teacher wasn't about to offer either. Encouraging underage drug use wasn't something he wanted to become known for.

"Are you alright?" the Jouniin asked.

"Yeah, fine," Arata answered, his voice still partly shaking. It was still an improvement over the creature that had been thrashing about in the bed only moments ago. Kakashi had nearly panicked when the Genin had woken up so violently from his slumber. His attention had immediately been split between doing his best to calm the boy down and trying to keep his other students from thinking Zabuza had returned. When the boy had reached for his knife, the instructor was half expecting to have to defend himself. However, the redhead had only hugged the weapon close and trembled for a moment before finally calming down enough for Kakashi to let his guard down.

The door still wouldn't close right after Naruto had forced his way through, Sakura close behind him. Had Sasuke not been in town at the time, the Jouniin suspected the door would have been in pieces. He hoped the damages wouldn't come out of his pay. It had taken a direct order from their sensei to get the two to leave.

"I suppose after what the three of you went through, it makes sense that your sleep would be troubled," the Jouniin stated. The redhead gave the man an odd look but only nodded, content to let the explanation stand.

"Especially you," added the instructor, baiting the air with the sentence.

Confusion crossed Arata's features before a sour expression took hold, "What about me? All I did was faint like a fool when the freak caught me."

"You fainted?" Kakashi echoed.

Keeping his expression neutral, the Jouniin weighed the comment as he asked, "When?"

The boy shifted awkwardly with embarrassment, "When he had me against a tree. He put a knife to my back, and I just blacked out. I can't believe I did that. I guess I made for a fine piece of bait when you got there. How did you get past that anyway?"

Kakashi considered his next words carefully. The boy seemed to have no recollection of what took place between him and Obutsu. This complicated things, but it also possibly confirmed the dark suspicion in the back of the Jouniin's mind. He doubted the Genin was lying too. There were no tells, and he seemed genuinely confused by the line of questioning.

"I didn't have to," was eventually the Jouniin's answer.

"What?" came the understandably confused reply.

"You defeated him Arata," Kakashi stated, "with what I believe to be a Keke Genkai."

The redhead balked at the words, "You got the wrong guy. I don't have a clan."

"Perhaps you do Arata," the teacher disagreed, "It's not unknown for clan members become separated from their families or for certain abilities to reappear after generations of absence. For all we know, you could be the first of an emerging bloodline."

"No," the boy shook his head, "This doesn't make sense. How do you know? How could I even swing at him if I was unconscious?"

"Not remembering and being unconscious are two different things," Kakashi corrected, "My Sharingan saw you using a jutsu, a Doujutsu. Doujutsu are almost exclusively Keke Genkai, and the fact that my own couldn't read the jutsu confirms it. As for your memory, the stresses of battle are fickle things, and the activation of a bloodline jutsu is, to say the least, an extreme change for the body and mind. It's possible the exertion of the fight forced the ability to activate and then blocked the memories from your mind. Regardless, the man you fought was defeated before I even got there."

Kakashi eyed the redhead's face, trying to read the emotions that must be going through his mind. He had most likely just turned a significant portion of the boy's life upside down.

Seeing a scared realization enter Arata's eyes, the Jouniin found that the child had other worries on his mind, "Wait. Did I- was he-?"

"No," Kakashi cut him off, "he was still alive when I got there. I'm the one who finished it. However, I'm giving you strict orders not to attempt to use the jutsu. Unknown Keke Genkai can be as dangerous to the user as to their opponent. We'll see about training when we get back." Watching the boy sag a bit with relief, the instructor felt no shame at his lie. It was too early for the kid to have to deal with his first kill. This whole mess was too early for the lot of them.

Regardless, he could at least offer some small help to one of his students, "Listen Arata. When we get back, I'm going to do a search on what I saw of the jutsu. The Hokage is a bigger expert on jutsus than just about anyone in all the nations. If anything comes up, all of Konoha's going to help find your clan, alright?"

Arata looked almost confused at first, as if unsure what to make of the situation. A war seemed to rage in his mind between the idea of possibly finding a family and not knowing what to think about receiving such an offer from someone who barely knew him.

Kakashi put the fears to rest with his next words, "Stop looking for an ulterior motive. I haven't one. Kanoha looks after it's own, pure and simple. I wasn't lying when I told you that that headband means something."

The redhead gave a tentative smile and thanked his instructor, but the Jouniin noticed that he was still nervously running his thumb up and down the hilt of the dagger.

"You look hungry," Kakashi commented, "I'll have Tsunami cook you something. Why don't you grab a bath while you wait." The Jouniin got up and left the room, trying his best and only partially succeeding in shutting the door behind him. Once out of earshot, the instructor sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. The boy had more to worry about than his sensei had let on. The entire village did. Berserker jutsus didn't tend to carefully pick their targets. He and the Hokage were going to have a very interesting conversation when the team got back.

* * *

Sakura Haruno sat on the front steps of the bridge builder's home, running a brush through her hair as it dried in the morning sun. She had just finished a long shower and was pleasantly surprised at how her instructor's advice had proven true, her limbs finally loosing much of their soreness from the previous day. The girl yawned and decided that a mid morning nap would be a good idea after she was finished with the necessities of her youthful beauty.

As she straitened her flowing pink bangs, the girl tried to gather her thoughts. Despite a nightmare that proved startling for the entire group, Arata was fine, and for that she was thankful. The kunoichi didn't know what she would do if her teammate had died under her orders. To be honest, even with all of her friends alive, she still didn't know what to do. The girl had hoped in the back of her mind that the fight might have changed her, might have acted as a baptism of fire to reshape her into some kind of stoic combatant like Sasuke-kun. She even envied Naruto's thickheaded courage, though she would never admit it, lest the blonde pain grow an even larger ego than he already had. But as she sat there, combing her hair for the third time, the knots long ago removed, the continued motions' only purpose to keep her hands from shaking, she knew she was still afraid.

And why shouldn't she be? Death terrified the poor girl. She believed in being a ninja, in defending her people. She might have joined the academy largely to pursue romantic interests, but over the years she had memorized many of the great heroes and writings of the past, if only to quell her father's accusations of shallow motives. And with her own family's experiences in sacrifice for the village, how could she not understand just what service meant?

But still, she _really _didn't want to die. Her redheaded teammate's words returned to her. She remembered his advice on not letting fear control her, but that was easy for him to say, he'd lived with fear all his life! This was new to her!

The girl immediately yanked on a handful of her hair, penance for such an insensitive remark about her new friend. She wondered if her father was right. Maybe she was just a silly girl playing at being a shinobi.

"Bad knots Sakura?"

The girl turned from her musings to see Naruto letting himself outside, still drying his head with a towel. Apparently, he'd taken their teacher's advice as well.

Sitting next to her on the steps, he asked, "You don't think I could borrow that brush do you? I forgot mine."

"No! Gross!" the kunoichi scowled in reply.

"Hey, I was joking Sakura-chan," the boy chuckled, ignoring the humph the girl gave him for the nickname, "The knots keep it spiky." The girl scowled at the comment, unsure if the boy was joking. Looking at the boot-shaped bruise that still adorned the side of her teammate's face, the girl's frown softened.

"Naruto," the girl mumbled, getting the blonde's attention, "I… I'm sorry for yesterday."

The Genin cocked his head to the side in confusion, "For what? We kicked butt!"

The kunoichi did her best to hold back her usual caustic reply to the boy's bravado, "No, we charged head long into an opponent out of our league. We all got hurt."

The blonde cupped his chin as he thought before saying, "Well yeah. We got hurt, but we're alive right? You got us into trouble, but you got us out of it too. Kakashi Sensei says it's that last part that makes a good leader, and it wasn't me, or Arata, or Sasuke that did that. You did."

The kunoichi's eyes widened at the words before she gave a feint smile, "Thanks Naruto. It's just… This is crazy you know? Genin aren't supposed to be doing this kind of thing, and, well…"

Despite her efforts, Sakura's hands began to shake, "If sensei hadn't shown up when he did… We could have died Naruto. I don't know what would happen if we- if we-"

The girl's shoulders began to heave, and Naruto started to panic. It looked like Sakura was about to cry and a weeping female was one of the top competitors for what the blonde feared most in the world, mostly because he hadn't the first clue what to do when one appeared.

The blonde tried sympathizing with her. He heard that stuff always worked on women.

"Yeah, I know," he began, "I don't know what Iruka Sensei would do if I didn't come back." He watched to see if the words would help, but alarms went off in Naruto's head when he saw tears begin to well up.

"I don't think my father would even care," the girl whispered more to herself than to her companion.

Oh crap. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Naruto felt for his friend, but he had no idea what to make of that statement, let alone what to say. He wanted to help, but the only option he thought he had was looking to be a painful one.

"Come on Sakura," the blonde argued, "That's not true. He'd your dad."

"Shut up!" the girl snapped, letting tears begin to fall, "You don't know- It's not even your business."

Looking at the girl who was beginning to shake as dry sobs began resonate through her frame, Naruto bit his lip as he realized he only had one choice left.

"Well," he began, tensing his muscles for the ensuing pain, "I guess I could always be the one to hold you when you're scared Sakura-chan."

As Sakura saw Naruto raise his arms and lean in for a hug, her face flushed red, and a burning rage boiled to the surface of her mind, pushing all thoughts aside that didn't have anything to do with wounding the boy in front of her.

"Baka!" the girl shouted as she brought her fist around in a smashing hook against her opponent's face, propelling his body in a rag-doll like fashion away from the porch to land and roll a number of feet towards the woods.

Chasing after the boy, the kunoichi wondered for a split second if the fool had planned this, but dismissed the thought. There was no way Naruto was that smart or masochistic. Comfortable in her course of action, the girl continued to meet out the Genin's punishment until he was a bruised lump embedded a few inches into the ground.

Heaving with rage, but incidentally feeling much better, the girl turned and stormed off back into the house.

As Naruto lay in the hole shaped oddly like his own body, he commended himself for his bravery and simultaneously cursed his caring nature. He wondered if he would still be considered to have died in action if it were his teammate who ended up killing him. In complete honesty, he considered it just as likely as dying in battle. Of course, Sakura would never be privy to that thought. He wondered if he should tell Kakashi about whatever had been bothering his teammate. The blonde knew the Jouniin seemed to understand that stuff a lot better than him. In the mean time, Naruto decided he would rest a bit before climbing out of his place in the ground, easing his eyes shut as he went to sleep.

* * *

Bugs squealed in the background, mixing with the rustling of dry leaves and the calls of nearby songbirds to add a soundtrack to the dry warmth of the afternoon. Arata basked in the sun, soaking up the heat like a cat might lounge in a window. He rubbed his hands together, trying to warm them. The redhead hated how his hands were always cold after his dreams. He hoped the sun might remedy that better than the shower he had taken moments ago. His stomach gurgled, his small lunch becoming unsettled at the thought of the nightmares. Grimacing at the feeling, the boy eyed his surroundings as he reached into his pocket for relief. Sasuke was training with supervision from Kakashi, while Sakura was resting indoors, per the doctor's orders. Naruto's location was still a mystery, but the boy assumed he had chased after his sensei, ignoring his medical advice in the same way the redhead had. The Genin knew it would be a stretch to lift the entire pack, but he doubted even a Jouniin would notice the lack of one cigarette. Arata disliked the habit, his instincts oddly going against _choosing_ to inhale a deadly gas, but one of the smoking tubes never failed to chase away the last of the pent up nerves produced by the agonizing visions.

The boy stuck the roll of tobacco in his mouth, noting the soreness of his right shoulder as he did so. He supposed he should consider himself lucky. According to Doctor Chuuko, who had interrupted another comfortable lunch, he shouldn't even be able to move the arm, let alone be left only frowning at a slight pain. Crossing his fingers in a practiced motion, flames leapt from the symbol to light the end of the cigarette, producing a small, twisting trail of smoke. Smiling, the boy finally began to take a drag of the calming smoke.

"Hey Arata!"

Naruto had woken up only moments ago from a rather pleasant dream surrounding a pool, Sakura, and incredible amounts of ramen to find that he had yet to pull himself from his earthen resting place. As his head popped above the rim of his pit, the boy saw his fiery-headed teammate across the yard, his back turned to him. Thrilled to finally have a chance to speak with him, the boy leapt up from the ground and called out to the Genin. He was a little surprised to see Arata jump. Partly because the blonde was his friend and partly because he didn't think the boy could jump that high without chakra.

Naruto knew he wasn't the best at reading people. He'd watched Kakashi worm secrets out of unsuspecting victims and even himself enough times to know it was important, but looking underneath the underneath was still a difficult concept for him. However, watching his friend spin around, his face red and plastered with a nervous smile, the blonde realized he might have just been given a chance to improve himself in that area.

"You okay man?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Arata replied in a dismissive tone, "you just scared me."

"Why is your face red?" the boy asked, feigning the ignorance he knew he was known for.

"It's hot out I guess," replied the redhead, his voice calming.

"And why did you jump?" Naruto persisted, keeping his eyes wide to create the illusion of confusion.

"Because you scared me," answered his teammate, "You're getting better at stealth. That training must be paying off for you."

Naruto nodded at the answer, ignoring the attempt to change the subject, "And your sleeve is smoking because?"

"What?" the redhead asked before his eyes flashed to the haze emitting from underneath the cuff of his jacket, "Crap!" Arata's hand shot under his sleeve before yanking out a still lit cigarette while he banged the smoking limb against his side for good measure.

"Arata!" Naruto objected, "What are you doing?"

"Trying not to immolate myself," responded the blonde's companion tersely as he checked his sleeve for burns, "Dang, I thought I put it out."

"No," insisted the blonde, "Why do you even have that thing?"

"Because it keeps me warm and holds my stuff?" the redhead offered. Naruto's glare informed the Genin that he wasn't escaping the conversation.

"Alright," the boy sighed, resigning himself to the argument, "I just needed something to relax, okay?"

"That's a stupid way to relax," the blonde pouted, crossing his arms.  
"You think I don't know that?" agreed his friend, "I don't make a habit of this. They just help after I have the nightmares, okay?"

"Nightmares?" the blonde echoed, his mind racing back to the scare he had received earlier, "You've had those before?"

Flinching at the realization that he had said too much, Arata tried to think of what to say.

Sucking on the butt of the smoke, ignoring the disapproval in Naruto's eyes, Arata eventually replied, "Yeah. I used to get them all the time. They stopped a few years ago. I guess the fight might have brought one back."

Naruto again found himself in uncharted waters while trying to think of what to say to one of his teammates. He knew Arata liked his privacy, but he still wanted to help him. Seeing his teammate fidget and shift his weight, the blonde was reminded of how he usually acted when he wanted to talk to Iruka Sensei about something, but didn't know how to ask. He decided that maybe Arata did want to talk about it after all.

Comfortable with pushing forward, the boy decided to simply understand what was wrong, "What are the dreams about?"

The redhead shrugged, "Darned if I know. I never remember them. All I know is they're bad. Real bad."

Naruto noticed the fear flash in his teammate's eyes as he spoke of the dreams. They obviously bothered the boy more than any of the ghoul filled nights the blonde had endured at a younger age.

"You think the fight brought them back?" Naruto continued, trying to shift his friend's attention from the dreams.

Tapping the cinders from the end of the cigarette, Arata nodded, "Kakashi says I might have… Well, I guess I can tell you. He says I used a bloodline trait in the fight. I don't remember, but he told me activating that stuff for the first time messes with the head. I guess it stirred the dreams up again."

Naruto struggled to keep his mouth closed. The boy had just admitted to having one of the most rare types of jutsus in existence. Not only that, but he'd admitted it to Naruto. Part of the blonde jumped at the idea that he finally had a friend that would trust him like that.

Grinning at his teammate, Naruto babbled, "That is so cool! What does it do?"

Arata gave his teammate's enthusiasm a slightly confused look, "He said he didn't get a good look at it, but he'd help find out the details when we get back to Kanoha. Kakashi even said they might find my clan if it's on record." The redhead watched his friend's face falter for a moment at the last words, but couldn't understand why.

Scratching the back of his head and stamping out the smoldering remains of the cigarette, Arata tried to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled, "Well, uh, thanks for not freaking out about the nightmares. You mind not telling the others? They're not really a problem anymore, so I don't really want them worried."

Naruto shook himself from his own thoughts and gave a smile to his friend, "Yeah, no big."

"I'm headed inside to start on dinner," the redhead stated, "You want to go lay down? I heard Sakura do a number on you earlier."

The blonde laughed, "Nah, I'm fine. I'll just go for a walk so I can stretch." His teammate shrugged and returned the smile before turning and entering the house.

Naruto's face fell the moment the door closed behind Arata. Normally, he might have congratulated himself on being such a good friend and not screwing up the delicate situation. But he _had_ screwed up, and he knew now that he might not be as good a friend as he thought. Hearing Arata talk about finding his family had struck a cord the boy hadn't thought of. For one shameful moment, Naruto found himself hoping the search would fail, that Arata would have to stay. The Genin's gut ached with guilt over his lapse in morality. It wasn't like him. He knew Iruka Sensei would be angry if he ever found out too, which sucked, because he got the feeling that that was exactly who he should be talking to right then.

Sighing, the boy felt like climbing back down into the hole he had so recently crawled out of, but decided simply to go for a walk, hoping it might clear his head of such selfish thoughts.

* * *

Humming a tune he had long ago forgotten the name of, Doctor Chuuko slid his key into the lock, turned it, and eased the door to his home open. He had reason to be pleased with himself. The redheaded child, the one who seemed incapable of not injuring himself, had checked out fine after his most recent visit. Not only that, but the girl who seemed to have followed her teammates example in the area of head trauma had also proved to have made an almost complete recovery since her injuries three days ago. Even the loudmouthed blonde, after extensive work on an entirely new collection of bruises that seemed to keep reappearing between visits, would be completely fit by morning, even sooner if the doctor's appraisals of his healing abilities were accurate. With their leader's leg finally unbound, the whole team would soon be back to peak condition and hopefully out of the old man's rapidly disappearing hair in no time. Chuuko flexed his tired digits as he commended himself for not losing even a bit of his edge after decades outside of the service. Had his combat skills showed similar longevity, he wouldn't have had to have the stuck up one escort him home. The Doctor estimated that intensive and thoroughly invasive surgery would one day be needed to remove the stick from that boy's ass. Regardless, the raven-haired child had at least shown interest in his own teammate's health, despite how hard he tried to hide it.

Hanging his medical bag and his coat on the same hanger, the aged physician hobbled his way into his living room, his beaten old recliner calling his name with a voice sweeter than the seraphim.

This voice was immediately drowned out by one of alarm as he reached the living room to find it already occupied. Laid out on the unused sofa was what looked like a teen-aged boy covered by a blanket of bandages. His face was swollen with bruises, one eye forced shut by the purple and blue skin. The creature wheezed as it took in labored breaths, each one seeming to be a small challenge to surmount.

"What in the-" the doctor muttered until he was cut off by the prick of a weapon at his throat.

A low and gravely voice dripping with the threat of a painful end spoke from behind Chuuko, "I hear you're the closest thing this town has to a doctor."

* * *

Yay, new chapter. And it didn't take until August. A few small comments. The series, as far as I have been able to gleam, never went into much detail on many of the characters' familial backgrounds, one of them being Sakura (not to fault the writers in the least). I wanted to see what I could do with it and examine what kind of life and family produced a girl like everyone's favorite hothead. I hope to widen the view of the story in other ways as Arata was intended to be a costar, not a replacement for Naruto. As much of the original chapters were meant to be setup for a much longer arch, I haven't been giving proper attention to the other characters, and I intend to stop that here. As always, your advice helps me immensely, with special thanks to top, So.Just.Smile and everyone else who frequents this story.

Also, I'm considering a beta reader to get a better and more objective view, but as I'm ignorant of the machinations of that feature of the sight, I was wondering if any could offer advice on how to go about doing so.

See ya, and tune in next chapter for (hopefully) the exiting conclusion to the land of waves arc.


	12. Culmination

Author's notes: A bit of an explanation for my absence. About a month or two ago, I finished this and the next chapter (separated due to length) and saved them, ready for posting tomorrow. The laptop seemed sluggish, but I assumed it was just a bit too warm. The next morning, I turn the girl on and hear a clicking noise. Some of you reading this are flinching right now. My hard drive had blown up taking just about everything with it that wasn't printed out (mostly private projects) or on the site. So I had to rewrite fifty-two pages along with the following chapter (if only to keep motivated) which should be posted in two weeks (not the one right after this, but the one after that). Anyway, I'm back, and this should cover the end of the Land of Waves Arc. So please enjoy.

**Culmination**

From its place above the mantel, the aged time piece ticked away the time as the hours passed. It was an impressive feet considering the kunai currently embedded in the clockwork. The small bird, which had once announced the hour with a musical tweet, had been silenced by the nefarious blow. Though doctor Chuuko hadn't particularly liked the clock, a gift from a miserly friend whom the old man had always suspected was the original recipient of the clock, his guest could have just asked him to turn the chime off. Then again, taking someone hostage was rarely considered a polite gesture.

Sighing to himself, the physician gathered his chakra and began to work once again. Pressing his fingertips into the patient's chest, he felt the alarmingly weak heartbeat beneath. Concentrating, the doctor felt tendrils of life energy extend from his fingers, seeping into the flesh like water through sand. The strings of chakra wove past the young man's ribcage, sliding over and around a number of organs, as if looking for something. Finding their target, the creeping energies gathered around the nicked artery. As they enveloped the wound, the flesh began to change. Threads of new cells began to reach across the torn flesh, meeting others coming from the opposite direction. Weaving together, the growths solidified and sealed the cut before the energy withdrew back and out of the body.

Pulling his hands back and stepping away from his work, Chuuko took a small cloth and wiped his forehead clean of sweat. A glimmer of pride flittered across his eyes. Once again, he'd shown skill that would have made most med nins green with envy. The look disappeared as he remembered that he wouldn't be in this situation had he taken such pride in his combat skills after his retirement.

From his left, the doctor heard a grunt, "I take it your stopping is a sign he's doing better and not a death wish."

Scowling at his guest, Chuuko said, "Take it as whatever you like. My work progresses, and, if allowed, I'll see him fully healed. You're a fool for waiting this long to bring him to me you know. Who is he anyway?"

"I don't owe you an answer old man," the giant sneered at him through the wraps on his face. Chuuko grimaced slightly. He needed information if he was going to form any kind of escape plan. The voice of the doctor in him, one he felt no small amount of pride in admitting was far louder than any of the others, reminded him that any action taken could not be allowed to put the patient in harm's way. The aged man gave a sidelong look at the young man. Covered in fresh bandages, he laid there breathing softly, unmoved from his place on the sofa. Chuuko would have liked to work somewhere more sterile, but he feared just moving the lad right now. No, the boy needed more work and more time until the doctor could do anything beyond a few probing questions.

"Fine," the doctor shrugged, "I suppose Gato doesn't pay his employees to talk." Chuuko immediately found himself yanked from his feet over a foot off the ground to be brought eye level with his captor.

"It's no business of yours if I work for that piece of trash or not," the man snarled, "Got it?"

"Former employee then?" the aged physician offered. The man staggered a bit as he was dropped back to the ground, but still managed a chuckle at the nin's expense. Calmly, the old man turned his back and eased himself into his cherished recliner. His body complained loudly at its treatment as he relaxed. The elderly doctor was too old for this. Too old for all of this. He'd been going too long, from his work with the shinobi protecting Tazuna to spending a sleepless night trying to keep the brute's companion alive, and he could feel himself starting to give in. Pulling a small afghan from an end table, the doctor covered himself. Reaching down, he pulled a lever that lifted his legs and caused his captor to leap back to avoid the ataman hitting his shins.

As he closed his eyes, he stated, "I'm getting some rest. He and I both need some before I do anything else."

Glaring at his captive, the shinobi growled, "You do know I can kill you, correct?"

Popping open one of his eyes, Chuuko huffed, "Lad, in my day, I removed kidneys scarier than you." With that, the old man's eyes were closed, and it wasn't long before snores could be heard echoing in the room.

His fists shaking, Zabuza held himself in place and muttered, "Let him heal Haku, then kill him. Let him heal Haku, _then_ wring his wrinkly little neck…"

* * *

Just inside the tree line behind the Bridge-builder's home, a bush rustled before speaking, "Okay, let's go."

Next to the greenery, another shrub asked, "Are you sure? I mean, you heard about that Obutsu guy not coming back."

The first bush didn't have time for this, "This is our best shot. Two just left for town and the big one's supposed to be laid up from his fight with Zabuza. We just sneak in, grab the kid, and bolt."

"I don't know," the green partner wavered. As the two argued, the back door swung open, and a small child came out, kicking at dust and wandering around the yard.

"This is perfect!" a shrubbery announced, "We don't have to deal with any of them."

Finally finding his nerve, the other bush agreed, "Okay, let's make this quick." Rising as one, the two mercenaries emerged from the foliage and took a step forward, both of their feet landing simultaneously in two rings of oddly placed leaves.

With a series of pops, the pair suddenly found their worlds turned upside down as their feet were yanked above their heads and their bodies sent flying towards the heavens. Each screaming at a pitch that denied their genders, the two continued their rapid ascents to the treetops, crashing through a number of branches, a multitude of thorns, and one bird's nest (along with a thoroughly irate bird). The two didn't even notice the pair of large stones whistling by them in the opposite direction. The thugs came to a sudden stop, jouncing about on the ends of the ropes tied to their legs. The two continued their incoherent screaming until each felt the prick of a knife at their throats.

A pair of emerald eyes looked down at one of them, "My, town has gotten closer for us to have made it back so fast. I'd make a joke about hanging out, but I like to think I'm above it."

The boy's partner rolled his eyes before he threatened the other mercenary, "You might want to start talking, or else we're going to be here all day while he fails to make me laugh."

"Like I'm about to take comedy advice from you," the redhead shot back.

"We-We're not saying anything," one of the two dangling men stammered as the other nodded.

"You know," Sasuke said, raising his kunai to place it against the rope around his captive's ankle, "We only really need one of you to tell us." Grinning, Arata mimicked the Uchiha.

The two thugs exchanged glances, neither showing faith in the other to hold his tongue. Trying to outdo each other, the pair began to ramble.

"It was Gato! He sent us!" one began.

"We were supposed to grab the boy," the other interrupted.

"And use him to get the Bridge-builder!" the first cut back in.

"We'd hold him in town square-"

"And use him to lure the old man there so Gato could kill him!"

Arata and Sasuke stared at the two, speechless at the announcement.

"You know what this means?" Sasuke eventually said.

"Yeah," Arata answered, "We don't know which one to drop. You got a coin?"

Sighing at his partner's attempt at humor, the Uchiha heard Kakashi land next to them.

"Catch of the day?" the copy nin commented.

Poking the more overweight of the two with his weapon, Arata said, "I think we can get a meal or two out of this one." The man whimpered as he spun a bit.

"They were planning to take Inari hostage," Sasuke explained, "Gato's getting desperate."

"True," Kakashi nodded, "Fine then, assemble everybody and secure Tazuna-san and his family. Be ready to go in ten minutes. We're finally strong enough to pay Gato a visit."

As the three began to leave, one of the thugs called out, "Hey! What about us?"

The shinobi exchanged a glance before Sasuke answered, "What about you?"

* * *

Gato ground his teeth as he stared around the warehouse at the assembled criminals. He'd demanded they meet here. He wasn't about to let this kind of trash dirty his private quarters.

The mogul was broken from his thoughts as one of the men approached him, "Boss, uh, you told me to tell you how the plan went." The man was almost shaking at having to speak to someone roughly half his size. Gato might have relished that on most days, but the way this morning was going, he simply wasn't in the mood.

"And?" the crime lord prompted, watching the man jump a bit at the word.

"Well, uh," the man stammered, "The guys we sent to get the bridge builder's brat. They, uh, haven't come back yet." The thug looked as if he were fighting the urge to throw his hands in front of himself.

"I know that," Gato replied, his voice low, "And do you know how I know that?"

"Um… no?" came the hesitant answer.

"Because," the mogul began, his voice becoming louder as he went, "I count every second of every minute of every hour I am forced to spend around incompetent buffoons like you! That way, I know just how much money I've wasted dragging you imbeciles from the gutter in the false hopes that you can actually get something done!"

Calming himself, Gato asked the trembling man, "And the doctor? Why isn't he here? He'd serve just as well as the boy I suppose."

Fresh fear showed in the man's eye as he said, "Well, the guys we sent there… didn't come back either. Which is weird, 'cause the shinobi working for Tazuna stay with him all the time." The man watched his employers face for a reaction, but the mogul was quiet for a moment.

The mercenary was about to ask when Gato exploded, "Zabuza Momochi you waste of rotten flesh and good money!" The thug yelped at the words, but was surprised to see his boss' face jump back to the other end of the spectrum as he suddenly became calm. Eventually, a smile worked its way onto Gato's face that made the hairs on the back of his employee's neck stand at attention. The diminutive mogul hopped up and grabbed the man's collar, pulling his face level with the crime lord's with his own weight.

"Tell me," Gato hissed to his hired muscle, "If you were the shinobi guarding the old man, after what we tried with the Bridge builder's grandson, what would you do?"

"Um," the thug mumbled, "Come for revenge?"

The mogul gave his employee a patronizing pat on the cheek, "No, but I like your priorities. No, they're going to make sure anyone else that has helped them isn't in danger, like the self-righteous types they are. That means they're going to the doctor's home."

"But," the mercenary said slowly, the gears in his mind turning in an achingly slow fashion, "But Zabuza's there and… Oooooooooh."

"Very good simpleton," Gato praised the man, "Now get the men together, we're going to be cleaning up after their little party."

"But, sir," the thug stuttered, "Those guys are heavy duty shinobi right? Should we really, um, get near them?"

The mogul's grin twitched for a moment before he twisted the top of his cane, a small blade extending from the end.

Calmly pressing the weapon against the sweating man's throat, the crime lord said, "Well then, I suppose you have to decide who you fear more: highly trained killers, or _me_."

The thug gulped audibly, the slight movement drawing blood against the razor sharp blade, "I'll get the guys together."

Pulling the cane back, Gato let the man go, "Good choice." Watching the terrified man's retreat, the mogul savored the moment. Whatever side won the trouble that was coming, he planned to come out on top. He might be able to salvage a profit from this day after all.

* * *

Finally ready, Kakashi looked his students over. It took a great effort not to show his pride openly. When he'd first taken these students on, none of them, even the Uchiha, had impressed him much. Now, only a little over a month later, they stood before him as new shinobi. Much of the story could be told in their posture. Even with Arata in his usual slouch, each of them stood with confidence. Not the brash pride of youth too ignorant to know better, but rather a simple, calm knowledge of what they were capable of. The training had taught them that.

It was why tree climbing was an honored tradition in Kanoha. It strengthened the body and chakra control rapidly, but that wasn't the only point. There was something to the newfound strength, to the knowledge that even gravity did not hold them so tightly now. It was an important confidence boost, and no warrior, regardless of strength, ever won a fight if they didn't first believe they could. Now, their dreams of resembling the seemingly Herculean shinobi they had grown up idolizing were one step closer.

Even with battle looming just a short time away, none of them acted like they once had. Not one of them glanced longingly back at the safety of the house. They were afraid, there was no doubt, but the fact that they were still preparing to go forward showed just how much they'd grown.

Each of them had what Kakashi called "pre-battle habits", familiar motions that distracted them from their fears. Sasuke had retreated into his stoic silence, eyeing the surrounding area as if expecting an attack at any moment. Arata had taken to spinning his by now trademark blade over and under his knuckles. Watching the agile fingers rotate the knife, Kakashi made a mental note to find out just how good he was with the blade when they got back to Kanoha. Sakura found herself checking her equipment again for the fifth time. She then tightened each of the straps on her equipment pouches before finding one she didn't like at all and retying it entirely.

With a soft thud, Naruto landed as he finally returned to the group, "Alright, Tazuna-san and his family are locked in the basement and the last patrol was clear."

"Good," his instructor said, "Let's go. Loose formation all the way to the doctor's home. We need to be sure Gato hasn't targeted him as well before we go for the man himself. Either way, this ends today." Kakashi turned and began to leap through the forest, his team following behind him.

"Alright!" Naruto nearly shouted, "Finally, some action. Dibs on the big guy."

Sasuke scoffed from his place in front of him, "You know as well as I do that Sensei will be the one to fight Zabuza, dobe. Besides, if he fights the big one, I get to take down his teammate."

"On a related note," the Genin at the end of the group piped up, "What's Kanoha's policy on looting the dead?"

"Arata!" Sakura turned her head to scold the boy.

"Depends on whether or not I can have that knife of yours," the Uchiha answered.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted at her teammate as Naruto roared with laughter.

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. The blonde had done as expected and finally broken the ice. The team now charged forward smiling, and more importantly as one. He wondered if the boy or anyone on the team realized the galvanizing effect the child had. It was the kind of thing that marked one for leadership. Still, the Jonin was getting ahead of himself.

"Alright," he called backwards, "cut the small talk. Stay calm and keep your eyes open. Lets get this over with."

* * *

A soft breeze flowed through the city, picking up dust and dragging the debris in a cloud behind it. Quietly, Team Seven landed across the street from their objective.

Naruto took a quick look around at the empty streets and asked, "Where is everybody?"

"They probably know something we don't," Arata commented, "I've seen markets clear in minutes when it looks like a turf war is starting."

"Well that makes me feel much better," Sakura sighed, checking her belt once again.

Kakashi got his Genin's attention, "Keep sharp. I'm going in the front. The rest of you keep a perimeter."

"Kakashi," Arata hissed.

The Jonin winced a bit. The boy had yet to ever refer to him by an honorific.

"Yes?"

The redhead was kneeling at the ground, his face inches from the dirt road not even looking up, "Looks like we aren't the doctor's only patients."

Kakashi's brow furrowed. He'd been hoping they could beat any trouble to Chuuko's home. This didn't make sense either. Inari should have been the prime target, the one Gato would send his best for. If the assassin was still on the mogul's side, why send Zabuza here? And if Zabuza knew of a doctor, why hadn't he used him for his own gain sooner? This changed things. If combat was a guarantee, getting the doctor to safety was the prime objective.

"Naruto, Sasuke," the Jonin called, getting their attention, "I want the two of you to circle around back and wait. I'm going in as a distraction to anything that might be waiting for us. If combat starts, let me lead it away from the home and then move in to evacuate the doctor."

Pointing at Arata and Sakura, the instructor said, "You two, keep a perimeter and keep an eye out for any surprises." The quartet nodded, and two of them disappeared to the rooftops. Kakashi took a deep breath, exhaling through his nose, and began to walk towards the Doctor's home.

Stepping through the front door, the copy nin called, "Doctor? Doctor Chuuko."

"Yes, yes, I'm coming," came a tired voice from the living room.

Stepping through the doorway, the aged physician gave Kakashi an annoyed look, "What do you want? Did another of you succeed in knocking yourselves unconscious?"

"No, just checking up on you. Gato's been stirring up trouble," The Jonin replied, eyeing the dried blood spotting the man's clothes, "Are you injured?"

Chuuko looked at the man in confusion before looking himself over, "What? No. I've been with a patient."

Kakashi nodded, turning to leave, "Good. Listen, if you haven't had any trouble, keep your head down, Gato's on the warpath and so are we. Good luck with the patient."

The copy nin stopped when he heard, "Oh, he'll be fine, it's his friend that keeps bothering me. The brute won't give me a moment's piece. Always threatening me or making too much noise taking care of some thugs that came here earlier."

Kakashi whirled around and was about to demand an answer when a hulking form stepped from the doorway to stand behind Chuuko, "That was a mistake old man."

"Bah," the doctor spat, "You're too much of a nuisance. Go play nice somewhere far away while I fix up your friend." Calmly the old man walked right past Zabuza, leaving the pair of Jouniin to their business.

Eyeing the assassin warily, waiting to see who would make the first move, Kakashi asked, "Care to step outside?"

Charging forward, Zabuza snarled, "Let me show you the door."

* * *

Watching the door her Sensei had just disappeared behind, Sakura chewed on her bottom lip, "You think Dr. Chuuko-san okay?"

"Probably," her companion answered, watching the end of the street from beneath his hood, "He's worth more alive than dead."

The girl shifted uneasily at the idea of meeting the former Iwa(1) nin again, "He might not be in there you know. It's probably nothing."

The redhead shrugged, "My nose usually isn't wrong."

The kunoichi was about to snap that he wasn't helping when the pair's heads spun around. With the shriek of tearing wood, the front door of the doctor's home exploded outward. Flying through the debris was the teammates' instructor, riding the end of what looked like a sofa across the street and into a wall. Rushing out after him, brandishing his gargantuan blade, Zabuza roared as he leapt into the air to land on top of the shattered futon, running his weapon through the remains to put the furniture out of its misery.

His only reward was a puff of smoke curling from underneath the wreckage. Seeing a shadow flicker towards him, the mist nin leapt back as a rain of shuriken made whistling impacts with the spot where he had been standing.

The assassin skidded backwards, watching his opponent land in front of what used to be a couch, "Hiding behind clones Hatake?" Feeling sudden pressure on his ankles, Zabuza looked down to see a pair of arms growing from the dirt to hold him in place.

"They _are_ surprisingly useful," the copy nin noted as he darted forward.

Watching the two clash, Sakura asked, "Arata? Should we try to help?"

"Depends," the boy said, "You think Zabuza has any more sofas?"

Catching something in the corner his eye, Arata craned his neck to look down the street, "Looks like we got bigger problems."

* * *

Striding through the streets of the city, Gato looked around with a bit of pride. Like animals in the woods, the people that lived here had scurried into their homes at the first sign of a storm. They knew by now what it meant to get in his way.

The mogul had never considered himself a cruel man, simply an efficient one. After all, if things were running their most efficient, everyone benefited, and more importantly, he benefited. Certainly, some sacrifices were necessary to maintain the proper output. Perhaps a few people lost their jobs, and yes maybe a few children went to bed hungry. But Gato had accommodated for that fact. He and his enterprises had flooded this area with an abundance of the opiates of cheap drink and other, more illicit substances. With the people's minds put at ease, the businessman was free to manage this land far better than it had ever managed itself. But still, some persisted. Today, however, that would finally be put to rest. By the end of the week, he'd have this sorry excuse for a town running like the watch on his arm.

As he and his men finally rounded a block, they were given a full view of a battle between two Jonin, and it caused the group to collectively stagger. Even a few blocks away, the crowd of mercenaries could feel the ground vibrate as the warriors exchanged blows. Nearby windows rattled in their frames at particularly violent moments of the conflict.

Gato realized he and his men had stopped moving forward, none of them in a hurry to get any closer to the war being fought down the street. Growing angry at the lack of spine in his men, the mogul began to rant and strike at those unfortunate enough to be nearby.

"You there," he spat, waving his arm at a group of around a dozen thugs, "What are you waiting for? They can't fight all of us! Get in there! Double pay to whoever brings me a head!" The men looked among each other before loosing a cheer and charging toward the melee. Watching the group go, Gato wondered if any of them had for a moment contemplated why they were the only ones he had sent ahead. Thankfully, he had never wasted money on paying them to think.

As the collection of assorted criminals barreled forward, they approached an alleyway. In their rush to claim the day's pay, they didn't notice the handful of what looked like marbles being rolled from the mouth of the small path. Their attention was brought rather forcefully to the small orbs as they burst with a hissing noise, a slight haze emitting from them. As they stumbled into the gas, the men's throats began to burn, their eyes forced shut by the sudden excruciating pain. The agony spread to their lungs as the thugs began to hack and cough, some falling to their knees to wretch. Their charge halted, the group was in total confusion. It wasn't until the screams started that they realized they were under attack. By then though, Arata and Sakura were already among them.

Decades later, the story of that day would be retold again and again among the bars and common places of the land of Waves. One of the most popular parts of the tale was when the narrator would tell of the pair of skilled and deadly shinobi that, using advanced breathing masks and combat visors, had ambushed a group of despicable bandits caught in a deadly gas. Depending upon how much the narrator had had to drink, the group could range from the dozens to over a hundred. Little girls would smile with pride and dream of resembling the rare beauty with the strength to send men flying with every blow. Young boys would nod sagely as if they knew of such things when the story came to the hooded stranger, who never swung a fist, but rather used his own foe's force against him. Those that knew the truth would usually smile and make a note to educate their children on the facts when they were older.

The truth of that battle was far less impressive, but perhaps more telling of the bravery of that day. Wearing training goggles over their eyes(2), and water soaked rags covering their mouths, Sakura and Arata charged into the disoriented men. Though outnumbered, their opponents were crippled by the pepper gas and could barely open their eyes, let alone put up much of a fight. Using her methodical and well-drilled style, Sakura struck left and right, her forceful attacks even lifting some of the unfortunate men clear off of their feet(3). Much less direct, Arata simply slipped amongst wheezing forms, landing kidney shots and a number of attacks to the groin with enough speed to pull back and out of arm's reach as his opponent struggled to understand what had just happened. Most attacks that did come his way were usually deflected, a few times into the offender's ally. Still, as the melee dissolved into chaos, a blindly grasping hand managed to rip down his hood before a wild hook sent him tumbling from the combat.

Rolling to the ground, his mask was pulled down. Thankfully, he had the luck to have been propelled far enough away from the dispersing gas to not be affected. Scrambling to his knees, the boy gave a quick look at the crowd of mindless aggression leveled against him. It was then that he caught Gato's eye. The two froze for a moment, each exchanging a look of shocked recognition. Shaking himself, Arata pulled the cloth back across his face and charged back into the combat.

As the mercenaries watched the two shinobi finish off their comrades before disappearing to the rooftops, those near their employer could hear him mutter to himself, "He's here?! That little freak? Could she be here?" The mogul suddenly seemed to be sweating.

Dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief, the man growled, "No, she's not. Not possible. But _he _is, which makes this perfect. Yes, this is perfect."

"Uh, sir?" asked a particularly brave thug.

The man jumped nearly a foot into the air when Gato shouted, "Alright, here's the plan. We wait until the shinobi finish trying to kill each other, then we finish off what's left. And yes, triple pay to the man that brings me the head of the redheaded brat!" The roar of approval was one that only ignorance and a healthy dose of fear could produce. It was music to the diminutive man's ears.

* * *

On a nearby rooftop, Sakura and Arata yanked down their masks, sucking in gulps of air. The rags might have kept out the gas, but they kept out quite a bit of air too. Panting and lying there for a moment, their eyes throbbing where the goggles had put pressure, the two tried to collect themselves for the fight to come.

Pulling herself up, but remaining low, Sakura said to her teammate, "Nice trick Arata. Where'd you get those pellets?"

Wheezing, the boy propped himself on his elbows and answered, "I made them. Child's play if you have the right stuff. Good plan by the way."

The girl nodded her thanks before Arata added, "One of them still caught me though. Hell of a shot." Noticing the growing mark on the boy's brow, Sakura quickly hid her bruised knuckles behind her back, simultaneously cursing and thanking the confining view of the goggles.

"What now?" the girl asked the redhead as she peered over the roof at the remaining mercenaries.

"Don't know," he said, "but we're definitely gonna need some help."

* * *

"Inari! What are you doing?"

The young boy in question spun around and away from the window in surprise, forcing his hands behind his back. Looking up at the irate face of his mother, the child's face went a telling crimson.

"What were you doing?" Tsunami asked again.

"Nothing," Inari lied.

Tapping her foot, the woman said, "Show me your hands young man."

"Resigning himself to defeat, the boy presented his hands, the bent wire he'd been using laying on his palm.

The woman took one look at the wire and the scratched rust of the window lock before nearly shouting, "What were you thinking?"

"That guy made it sound a lot easier," the child mumbled to himself, as his grandfather chuckled in the corner.

Tsunami however, was not nearly as amused, "Hatake-san told us to wait here until he gets back. Why were you trying to leave?"

Inari couldn't meet his mother's eyes as he fidgeted, "I just wanted to help."

"And what were you going to do?" the mother scolded, "Get yourself hurt?"

The boy stiffened at the comment and hung his head, "I just- I'm just sick of someone else fighting for us. I'm sick of them getting hurt for us."

Tsunami looked at her son as he tried to hold back his tears. Perhaps she'd been a bit harsh in her fear.

Kneeling in front of Inari, the mother took his face in her hands and looked him in the eyes, "I know sweetie. I am too. But we can't fight this ourselves. Everyone needs help sometimes. Once the bridge is finished, we can have our home back, okay?"

Tazuna's voice came from behind her, "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

Tsunami tensed, but her father continued, "I thought I could free this land with that bridge, but how hard is it to knock a bridge down after its been built if there's no one willing to protect it? If we put all our hopes in that bridge, they'll be just as easy to break."

Snapping her head around to glare at her father, Tsunami said, "So we do what? Go out there and get killed too?"

"Mom," Inari persisted, "I'm scared too, but Kaiza always said-"

The mother suddenly hugged her child to her, sobbing in his ear, "Kaiza! Kaiza! You and your grandfather talk about him like you're the only ones who lost someone. I loved him too!"

Tsunami shook as she cried on her son's shoulder, "I can't loose you too. I can't. He'd never forgive me."

Winding his thin arms around his mother, Inari hugged her back, his own tears beginning to flow, "I'm sorry mom. I really am, but I need to do this. If we don't do this now, we never will. I don't want us to be afraid anymore."

Chuckling, the bridge-builder stood and began to rummage through an old box, "Well, well, look who's all grown up. I wondered when that Naruto boy would begin to rub off on you."

Tsunami finally halted her crying and rose to her feet, rubbing her reddened eyes, "I suppose it was inevitable. Come here Inari." The confused boy followed his mother as she pulled an old cooking pot from storage and placed it on his head before handing him a length of spare pipe.

"Listen," she said as she took a few old kitchen knives for herself, "Stay behind me and your grandfather and run if either of us gets hurt. You understand?"

The child looked at the woman with a confused stare, "Mom?"

"What kind of mother sends her son to fight alone?" Tsunami sighed before putting on a smile and wiping away the last of her tears.

Brandishing an aged hunting crossbow, Tazuna grinned, "What do you say we give some of our neighbors a call. I doubt we're the only ones who have a bone to pick with Gato."

Smiling from ear to ear, Inari watched as his grandfather unlatched the cellar door and threw it open.

Charging up the stairs the boy shouted, "We're on our way Naruto!"

As the adults followed him, Tazuna leaned over and whispered to his daughter, "Haven't the heart to tell him the key was on top of the window frame do you?"

"Shhh," the mother replied, "He's having a moment."

* * *

Massaging his fingers into the patient's chest, doctor Chuuko continued to funnel more energy into the boy's lungs. There had been some discomforting internal bleeding there, not enough to drown the boy, but enough to kill over time. The wounds had clotted, but we wanted them healed and the blood drained before he'd be happy. With sight provided by his own jutsu, the physician watched as he smoothed the bruised flesh together, closing it like a baker repaired a tear in his dough. Chuuko's head ached. It had been doing so for a few hours now. He felt his body beginning to give out, but he simply listed his own flesh under the long list of opinions he didn't particularly give a crap about.

As his house rattled along with the rhythm of the fight outside, he told himself that at least he had a calm working environment. His hand almost slipped when he heard one of his windows shatter. Muttering a curse, he prepared to get back to work when he realized the sound hadn't come from the direction of the combat.

Leaving his work for a moment, he hobbled down the hall and into the room the noise had come from. What he found was the bizarre sight of a pair of orange legs thrashing at open air as they hung from the shattered remains of one of the old man's windows. A muffled voice from past the legs announced that he was stuck. With a heavy thud, the legs' owner was propelled through the last of the window frame, the foot that had helped him on his way pulling back outside.

Scrambling to his feet, the boy gave an angry whisper back the way he'd come in, "Alright you jerk. Your turn."

Sighing as he rubbed the side of his head, the doctor announced, "That window was unlocked you know." Jumping, the blonde turned to see his host calmly walk past him and lift the window frame.

"Doc!" he cried, "You're okay!"

"Of course he's fine Naruto," the boy's raven-haired companion said as he easily stepped into the room, "Zabuza has no reason to kill him."

"Or at least he won't until I give him the bill," the old man added, making his way back toward his living room.

"Where are you going?" the blonde asked, "We need to get you out of here."

"Back to my work," Chuuko called over his shoulder.

"What work?" the other scowled as he followed.

"I still have a patient to attend to," the physician said as he returned to his living room, "And I have no intention of leaving him." Naruto was about to complain when he saw what Chuuko meant.

"Haku!" he gasped as he recognized the bandaged form in front of him.

"Oh is that his name?" the doctor asked, beginning to give the boy another once over to find what he'd missed, "Now I know who to make the bill out to."

"Is he gonna be okay?" the Genin asked.

"Eventually," Chuuko nodded.

"Fine, whatever, we're leaving," the other boy broke in, looking at the doctor expectantly.

"Like hell I am," the aging man replied, not even turning to face the boy.

"We can't leave Haku, Sasuke," Naruto growled back.

"Our priority is not his safety," the Uchiha replied, "It's the doctor's. We have a mission, and we need to finish it."

"I can tell you where you can stick your mission boy, and then I'll remove it for a fee," the doctor spat over his shoulder.

"We can't leave him behind man," the blonde insisted, "He helped us fight that freaky dirt guy."

"As I recall, you saved him," Sasuke shot back, "Look, if you're right about him, I don't like it either, but we still can't abandon orders."

The doctor was about to tell the raven-haired pain in the neck what he thought of his orders too when he heard a moan. Looking down, he saw the young man's eyes flutter open.

"Where am I?" was all the young shinobi could manage.

Haku's foggy gaze shifted from the old man looking down at him to the pair of familiar faces.

His eyes widened as he regained reason, "If you're here, then… Zabuza-sama!" The ice nin tried to pull himself up, ignoring the pain that reverberated through his body, only to feel himself pushed back down by the aged man he didn't know.

"Hold on now lad," the man said, "You're in no shape to be going anywhere."

As gently as he could, Haku pushed the man off of him and made to get up again, "My master needs me, I can hear it." As he stood, he found a boy whose name he did not know barring his way.

"Get out of my way," the young man warned.

"Not happening," replied the Uchiha, "I'm not letting you endanger my team."

"I will hurt you if I have to," the rogue nin said, annoyance working its way into his voice.

"Same to you if you don't lay back down," Sasuke shot back, flecks of red visible in his eyes as he gathered his chakra.

Not wanting to see his friends fight, well, his friend and Sasuke, Naruto pushed himself in between the pair, "Hey, hey, no one needs to fight over this."

"Yes we do," Haku said, "If we get in each other's way, death is inevitable."

Unprepared for the harsh words, Naruto said, "Come on, Haku, the bridge builder's a nice guy. You don't want to do this. You're not that kind of person."

"But I'm not a person at all Uzumachi-san," the rogue nin corrected him, "I am a shinobi."

"What?" came the blonde's response.

"I am a tool," the ice nin explained, "a weapon given human form. I am no more bound by morals than the knife I sink into my enemy's chest."

"You can't mean that," Naruto said, confusion written on his face.

"I do Naruto," the young man replied, his voice devoid of emotion, "And you are no different. In the future, you will have to kill someone. It is part of what we do. Do you think you will always know who they are? You won't. Do you think you think you will always even know why you are doing it? Many times, you will not. It is our way to be used by others. I am Zabuza-sama's weapon, and I can be happy with that."

"You don't sound happy," the trio turned to see doctor Chuuko staring at them.

Haku looked him in the eyes but lowered his gaze before saying, "I don't have a choice."

"Then you've already made one," the physician sighed.

Naruto wasn't convinced yet, "I'm still not letting you get hurt-"

The senbon needles were in the air before the blonde had finished the sentence. Where Haku had been keeping them was anyone's guess, but he had drawn and launched the weapons in one fluid motion. The ice nin wasn't the only one with speed though. Sasuke hadn't been training for over a week for nothing. He had gained a speed that made his previous standards for what was quick laughable to him now. The needles were fast, but he was faster. Unfortunately, they weren't aimed at him. Putting his new abilities to work, he propelled himself forward to collide with Naruto, throwing the blonde to the ground. He had just enough time realize he wouldn't be escaping the projectiles himself. With a series of wet impacts, the weapons slammed into his throat, sending the Uchiha stumbling backwards from the blow. Dashing past him, Haku stammered an apology as he hurried to save his master.

Looking up, Naruto saw his teammate slumped against the wall, red leaking from under the hand pressed against his throat. The Genin's mind ground to a halt as he saw the silver lines protruding from between the boy's fingers.

Naruto was shaken from the sight as he realized Sasuke has listing forward. Leaping to his feet, he barely caught the gurgling boy before he could fall, easing him to the ground.

Falling to his knees next to the pair, the doctor pushed the blonde back, "Move, move, let me work."

Naruto stared in disbelief as his teammate lay in front of him.

"You idiot! Why would you do that?" the boy demanded, "Why would you do that for me?" Sasuke's face managed a scowl completely out of place with his condition.

More with the movement of his lips than with his voice, he scolded, "Like I wanted to die saving a dobe like you."

His voice catching in his throat, the Uchiha's chest began to convulse as his larynx tried clear itself.

Pushing the boy back down, Chuuko said sternly, "Calm down before you do more damage! And don't try to talk again you fool." Sasuke stopped his thrashing and caught the doctor's eyes. The aged physician looked back and saw that all the bravado was gone. The boy's face showed a simple fear as his eyes humbly pleaded with the doctor to not let him die. Wishing desperately that he could still be surprised by that look, the man reached gently behind the young boy's head. His digits glowed against the child's scalp before the Genin in his arms went limp. Had he been paying attention, Naruto might have noticed how old the man appeared to be at that time. It seemed all of a sudden as if the years had finally succeeded in pulling the man down. His frame seemed to sag, his movements stiff and tired. The man's entire body just looked frail, unable or unwilling to go on. However, the blonde had other worries.

"Is- is he going to be okay Doc?" Naruto stuttered, dread apparent in his voice.

The old man had no time to coddle the boy and simply snapped, "Only if you let me work. Now be useful and make sure that fool who just escaped doesn't give me any more cases."

Naruto suddenly remembered the young ice nin, his mind finally catching up with what had just transpired. Haku had done this, had hurt his teammate. The blonde had trusted him and look at what he'd done. Feeling his eyes burn, the boy found himself forcing all thoughts of the shinobi as a friend from his mind. A low growl rumbled within the boy's chest as the single minded hatred boiling within his mind told him the rogue nin was an enemy now, one that would pay, one that would feel every bit of pain he'd just inflicted.

Doctor Chuuko suddenly felt a wind circling about the room as he heard the boy behind him snarl. It was all the warning he would get before the Genin let out an unearthly howl that shook the very foundations of the man's home. The winds hit their crescendo along with the howl, blowing out every window in the doctor's home. It was all Chuuko could do to through himself over his patient in order to protect the boy. By the time he lifted his head, Naruto was gone.

* * *

Kakashi ached. Every part of his body ached. Every cord of muscle he had screamed in protest as he fought, warning that they wouldn't heed his commands the next time he needed them. The Jonin ignored them. He'd heard the complaints enough times to know by now that they were bluffing, and the adrenalin cocktail pumping through his veins helped deaden his body's cries. Even the throbbing pain of his left eye, angry at being awakened again so soon could be ignored for at least a little longer.

Skidding backwards after blocking the last blow from his opponent, he looked his foe over. Somehow, Zabuza looked worse than the copy nin felt. His chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath, the assassin stood there, bleeding from a dozen different cuts and gashes. None of them posed any real threat, but together they would slow him down eventually. Kakashi had his own marks from the fight, but Momochi was clearly the worse off of the two. It occurred to the leaf nin that his opponent shouldn't even have a number of the wounds. Throughout the combat, Zabuza had made a series of mistakes that a shinobi of his skills had no business making and had paid for them. There was almost a desperation to his actions altogether alien to the stone-cold killer. Perhaps there was a chance of ending this fight and the danger it posed to civilians quickly.

"Listen Zabuza," Kakashi called, "We can both walk away from this. Gato betrayed you. There's no contract left to fulfill."

"Not a chance Kakashi," the mist nin growled back, "When you beat me, you took my good name. My reputation's all I have to live off of, and I'm getting it back when I take your head."

Grunting with the effort, the rogue nin hefted his signature blade and charged. Kakashi braced himself and rolled under the attack as Zabuza swung a sword the size of a full grown adult through the fruit stand the Jonin had been standing in front of a moment ago, demolishing the structure. Too easy. The blow had been obvious, telegraphed. What was wrong with him? Kakashi's assumptions were taken down a peg when Zabuza rode the momentum of his blade full circle to bring it back down on his opponent. Coming out of his roll, the copy nin pushed forward as quickly as he could, feeling the wind of the blade whispering behind him and the tearing of his vest. He hoped his fashion was all that was damaged, but felt a stinging pain in his back that told him otherwise. A cacophonous noise was heard behind him as the monstrous weapon impacted with the ground. Stumbling forward, he righted himself and turned to see that he and his opponent had only succeeded in exchanging sides of the street.

"This is pointless Momochi," Kakashi tried again, "You can't win this. There isn't even any water for you to use."

"Shut up!" the man spat back, "I'm killing you, killing Gato, and then Haku and I are walking away from this, and no one is going to stop us. As for water Kakashi, we're in the city you idiot. Water is everywhere." Yanking his weapon free from the ground, a crystal pillar erupted into the air as the water main his blade had pierced let loose. Grinning underneath his mask, Zabuza began to rapidly form a number of hand symbols. Unfortunately, for the mist nin, the explosive tag Kakashi had left in the fruit stand went off before he could finish. An incandescent flower bloomed and Zabuza was lifted off the ground and propelled through the air towards his opponent. Leaping up to meet him, Kakashi let loose with a kick against the man's right shoulder, the snap of its dislocation inaudible over the explosion. The two landed, Kakashi carefully among the even more damaged vendor's stand, and Zabuza sprawling to the ground, crying out as he rolled over his now useless arm, his weapon clanking to the ground too far way for him to reach.

The copy nin gave him a final chance, "You can't even perform jutsus anymore Zabuza. We're done here." The man's only reply was an incoherent snarl as he struggled to his feet, his smoking back promising blisters if he lived through the fight. Sighing, Kakashi ran his thumb over his back, dipping it in the warm blood running from his fresh wound. Bringing his had forward, he slammed it into the ground, palm down. The only warning Zabuza had was the sound of shifting dirt as a series of shadows leapt from the ground and sank their teeth into his shoulder, yanking him back to his knees and holding him there. The rogue nin's nose was assaulted by rancid breath as the creatures growled in his ear, only showing enough restraint as was necessary to hold him down.

"Do you like them?" Kakashi asked, "I've trained my hounds well, and I can honestly say they've returned the favor a fair amount."

As he began to run through his favored symbols, the copy nin continued, "Now I despise those that drag these matters out Zabuza, so from one professional to another, I'll make this quick." Forcing almost all of the chakra he had left into his right hand, he flinched it into a grasping claw as the energy became visible. The sound of birds began to fill the streets as false lightning began to crackle in Kakashi's hand, the static energy lifting the hairs on his arms. The nin readied himself for the killing blow.

With a metallic flash, as series of senbon needles flew from the side and impacted neatly with the neck of each of the hounds, the dogs disappearing in a collective cloud of smoke. The twittering of the lightning was suddenly drowned out buy a sudden cracking sound as the air around Kakashi plummeted in temperature. A pair of lithe arms snaked under the Jonin's limbs before curling back and bracing their hands against the back of Kakashi's neck. The copy nin found himself yanked against a crystalline wall in a manner that would only have been possible had the arms been growing from it. His concentration broken, Kakashi's jutsu fell apart, the Chidori sizzling and arcing to the growing pool of water at his feet before dissipating.

A voice came from behind his shoulder, "I'm sorry for being late Zabuza-sama."

As Kakashi struggled against the superior leverage, the voice lowered as the Jonin's captor spoke to him, "And I am truly sorry for what I have to do now."

Grumbling as he eased himself to his feet, Zabuza retrieved his sword, growling, "I don't know why you always apologize to them Haku. It's wasted effort." Doing his best to ignore the limp but far from numb arm by his side, the assassin raised his weapon to claim his prize.

The three of them suddenly found their combat interrupted once again as all the windows in the house to their left seemingly exploded, an unearthly roar echoing out from within that put ice water in each of their veins. They all felt it; the rage of a monster none of them could comprehend. A simple voice in the souls of the three shinobi, one rendered nearly mute by centuries at the top of the food chain, was now clamoring for them to run, to hide, to do anything to get themselves out of the path of whatever had made that howl.

"I think the thing you should be really sorry about is waking that up," the copy nin spat. Kakashi was the only one present who had felt that kind of fear before and had learned to throw it off. Recovering before his opponents, the Jonin threw his head back, impacting with an unsuspecting Haku' nose. His captor's grip weakened, the copy nin broke away from the hold and bolted forward. Realizing his mistake, the young man stepped from his mirror to pursue his foe. With nothing more than an orange flash as a warning, Haku heard his ice wall shatter behind him as a hand resembling a claw slammed through the crystalline structure and closed around Haku's hair. With a vicious yank, the rogue nin found himself being pulled backwards, headfirst, to meet his pursuers other fist.

Naruto, his eyes glowing a red that seemed to drown out the light around it, let loose a punch that sent Haku flying down the street, landing badly and rolling to stop just before the blonde impacted with him again. Tackling the young man, the Genin brought his fists down again and again.

"Get away from him!" Zabuza roared as he charged the boy, only to have Kakashi leap in his way.

"Stop Momochi," the copy nin warned, "You don't know what you're doing."

"Get out of my way," the assassin snapped back, slinging his sword forward in a side slice. It was the opportunity the Jonin had been waiting for. Leaning back, Kakashi let the weapon soar over his head. As it did so, he lifted his arm, positioning his newly drawn kunai inside the giant's guard. The mist nin's own momentum carried his arm into the point, imbedding it in the crook of his elbow. All use of his forearm lost, the sword flew from his grip to fall to the ground useless. Crying out, Zabuza staggered back before the copy nin connected with a kick that sent the man tumbling to the ground where he remained unmoving. Turning to his student, the instructor's mind raced as he tried to think of any way to calm Naruto down.

"How could you?" the blonde demanded, his voice seeming to have dropped a number of octaves, "How could you do that? He had dreams too! He had hopes, and you stole those from him!" Snarling, his enlarged canines on full display, Naruto spat curses at his victim as he continued to meet out his punishment.

He would have continued for some time had a voice not caught his attention, "Naruto?" The blonde looked up to see Sakura standing on the rooftop above him with Arata at her side. The pair had been drawn from their diversionary tactics by the sound of the explosion. The Genin looked at her and was confused to see fear in her eyes. Why was she afraid? He was winning. He was making the one who had hurt their teammate pay. Why was she looking at him that way?

Looking down, Naruto suddenly didn't see a great villain beneath him but a wheezing, bleeding Haku, regarding him with the same fear he'd seen in his teammate's eyes. The blonde saw his hands, stained with a crimson he hadn't noticed before. All at once, the screaming voice in the back of his mind could be heard as it begged him to stop. With a strangled yelp, Naruto collapsed backwards and off of Haku, desperately clawing himself away from his handy work, the red in his eyes giving way to a bright, terrified cerulean. The ice nin gave a labored breath before his eyes shut, his mind collapsing into unconsciousness.

The Genin didn't know this and could only moan, "I-I killed him."

"The hell you did. I didn't put in all that effort to see this boy kick the bucket now." Hacking and coughing and covered in a thick layer of dust, Doctor Chuuko stumbled from the wreckage of his own home.

As he watched the aged physician limp past, Naruto could only stutter, "D-doc? Is Sasuke okay?"

"What?!" Sakura called, "What happened to Sasuke?"

"He'll be fine, assuming any of us live through this, and I'm not taking bets on it," the doctor answered, ignoring the girl altogether, "Our 'friend' here missed every important part in a way that only the supremely skilled or the supremely lucky can." Carefully, the doctor eased himself to his knees in front of the ice nin. The old man seemed to sway for a moment, as if unable to even hold himself up, before he righted himself. Placing his palms against the boy's chest, the doctor tensed and a faint glow appeared beneath his hands before fading again.

As sweat dripped down his brow and carried dirt into his eyes, the doctor spat, "Not yet. I said not yet damn it!" Kakashi watched the man. He had enough experience to recognize chakra exhaustion when he saw it. At his age, the doctor probably shouldn't have even still been conscious. As the aged man continued to grumble, the glow returned and stayed.

The Jonin was about to ask what was happening when his attention was drawn by Sakura, "Sensei!" Looking in the direction of the girl's outstretched hand, the copy nin saw the approaching crowd. Finally free from the harrying attacks of the two Genin, the small army of henchman now stalked towards the group, Gato grinning at their head.

"Team, line up," Kakashi called to his students. Sakura leapt down to stand by her sensei, but Arata ignored him, landing in front of Naruto, the boy still staring at Haku with what looked like tears in his eyes.

"Naruto," the redhead called, "Come on."

The blonde didn't even look up, "I-I could have killed him. I _wanted_ to ki- to kill someone-"

"You didn't," Arata interrupted.

"But-"

"You didn't," he insisted, holding out his hand, "You stopped yourself, now get up. You don't stand up now and someone _will_ die." Naruto finally looked up at his teammate. The blonde didn't understand why his friend could look at him and not be afraid, but at that moment he was just happy to have someone looking at him like he wasn't the monster he was feeling like for the first time in his life.

Taking the offered hand, Naruto pulled himself up, "Alright, lets get this crap over with." The two then took their place beside their teammates, facing the approaching horde.

The mogul came to a halt before his men, letting a healthy amount of expendable flesh get between him and his targets.

"Well, I suppose this works in my favor," the man gloated, "I don't have to pay Momochi, and the rest of you die before dinner, a full day."

Straitening up and doing his best to sound menacing, Kakashi called back, "Leave Gato, and we might let you live."

The crime lord chuckled, "No. No, I don't think I'll be doing that at all if the best you can do is a handful of brats and a Jonin who couldn't muster the energy to spit at me."

"I can still spit on you," Arata called from under his hood, "Just get a little closer." The mogul grimaced as the boy's teammates laughed alongside him.

"You think you're better boy?" Gato responded, "The people of this country hide behind you just like I use these men. The difference is I admit it." The diminutive man's smile returned as he watched their smirks fade. It disappeared just as quickly when he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. From under the crumpled heap of Zabuza's body came a deep moan. With a cough that sprayed a cloud of dirt from underneath him, the ice nin struggled to pull himself to his knees.

Taking the scene in, his eyes narrowed on his pupil's prone form, "Haku! If you killed him-"

"We're saving him you twit," doctor Chuuko interrupted, his eyes open again and staring the assassin down, "but I need more time."

Sneering at his former employee, Gato spat, "Zabuza, you never cease to disappoint me. You can't even die right can you?" As the mist nin turned to glare at the mogul, Gato found his next insult sticking in his throat. Shaking as he did so, Zabuza climbed to his feet.

Pulling down the last of his mask with his teeth, the assassin said, "I guess I'm going to buy you that time old man."

Involuntarily taking a step back, the businessman stammered, "You're insane. You can't even move your arms!"

"I don't need my arms to kill a piece of garbage like you Gato," the rogue nin spat, "I just need a knife." Looking over to his former opponent, Zabuza saw understanding flash into his eyes before Kakashi began to nod. Before the movement was even complete, a weapon was in the air, arcing towards the mist nin. Snapping his head forward, Zabuza's filed teeth caught the blade. He gave a disturbing smile towards the crowd of mercenaries at the quality of the knife he'd been given and what he planned to do with it.

"I'm going to want that back," the redhead called.

Bracing his legs, the rogue nin kneeled before launching himself forward to charge his prize. His bowls turning to water, Gato turned and began to run back through his own men.

For a long time, the warrior charging toward them had never impressed many in the crowd. They had thought him an overrated failure of a shinobi, one who hid behind a scary reputation and an oversized sword. They were wrong. Zabuza had never called himself the Demon of the Mists. That title had been given to him. Slamming home, Zabuza barreled through the crowd. The shinobi's head slung left or right with every step he took, each movement of his neck eliciting a cry of pain. Arteries were opened, tendons were cut, and organs were exposed to open air as the demon of the mist worked his way through them. The men fought back, slashing angry gashes into his body that even he couldn't escape, but the man continued forward, as if unaware he'd been attacked at all.

Shouting in a voice that chilled all those around him, Zabuza screamed through the hilt in his mouth, "I'm coming for you Gato. A demon's finally coming for your pathetic soul!" The crime lord continued to try to put bodies between him and the monster behind him, but it was getting more difficult as no one seemed to want to be near him at the moment. The man felt his stomach lurch as he tripped to the ground. Gato turned over to see the mist nin leap above the crowd, the shinobi's maniacal grin resembling a gargoyle from his childhood nightmares. The mogul shut his eyes and whimpered, waiting for the end. A series of wet slices were heard along with a number of grunts of effort, but Gato never felt the blade sink home. Opening his eyes, the crime lord saw Zabuza crouched in front of him, a number of weapons sprouting from his back, blood freely flowing down his legs to the ground. Gato's fear was replaced with relief as he realized that a group of his men had finally struck with enough force to humble the shinobi.

Stumbling to his feet, the mogul shouted, "Damn it! Go to hell already!"

"Not without company," Zabuza growled. Darting forward, taking many of the blades in his back with him, the mist nin turned his head sideways and rammed his dagger into Gato's gut. A warm spray across his face told the rogue nin he'd won before he collapsed to the ground. Looking down in confusion, as if unable to believe the hilt sprouting from his torso, a gargled moan bubbled over the crime lord's lips as he fell backwards.

Looking at the two's unmoving forms, the crowd of muscle began to mutter amongst themselves.

"Gato's dead?"

"How did he do that?"

"What do we do now?"

"Are we still getting paid?"

"I'll tell you what we do, we take this town!"

"Yeah, it's ours now!"

"Who's going to stop us?"

As if to answer them, a crossbow bolt thudded into the ground in front of them. Looking back towards the other shinobi, the men saw the army arrayed against them. Standing at the head of a crowd of over a hundred citizens, a boy no more than ten sneered at the mercenaries and brandished an empty crossbow. As the group enveloped their astonished protectors, happy to finally be able to switch roles, the criminals looked up to see more of the city's residents lining the rooftops. Each one carried weapons ranging from pitchforks, to sledge hammers, to simple stones, all of them looking ready to use them.

The terrified men looked back as they heard the squeaking voice of the boy call, "This is your only chance. Get out now! This is our home and we're taking it back." The crowd all around the mercenaries roared their agreement. It didn't take long for them to break, the thugs fleeing without any kind of order towards the outskirts of the town. As they watched them go, a chorus of cheers rang up from the crowd as they celebrated, Naruto and his companions joining in. Leaping up and down, relief flooding his system, the blonde was nearly barreled over as he felt a weight collide with his back.

Turning, he saw Inari fiercely hugging him, "We did it Naruto-san! We finally did it."

Looking down at the boy, the Genin grinned and asked, "Hey Inari, what's all this 'san' stuff all of a sudden?"

Going scarlet in the face, the boy pulled back and said, "What? I didn't say that!" Suddenly remembering, the blonde pushed his way through the crowd to find a fretting Sakura helping Sasuke hobble from the doctor's decimated house. The dour scowl written on his teammate's face put the Genin's mind at ease.

Calmly stepping away from the celebrations, Kakashi strode down the street to stand over his former opponent's body.

Groaning, Zabuza forced out, "Come to gloat?"

"Not really," the copy nin replied, "Just seeing if you had any last poetic words to impart."

"Not to a bastard like you," the mist nin answered, "Now take me to him." Sighing, Kakashi stooped and picked the man up, careful not to disturb the weapons still embedded in the mist nin's back. As the pair returned, the crowd parted as the Jonin approached Haku's body, laying the man on his side next to his student. All present went quiet as they watched the scene unfold, Chuuko being the only one to ignore it as he worked.

Zabuza starred at the ice nin's unmoving form for a moment before beginning to speak, "Hey kid. I think I'm leaving now. I'm finally going to hell."

Tears running down his face for the first time in an eternity, the mist nin continued, "Now listen, if you were ever a loyal weapon, do this. You stay away from me. You stay as far the hell away from me as you can from now on. I'm not going to any kind of place meant for you."

Taking in a breath, he finished, "You hear me? You stay away." With a last shuddering gasp, Zabuza Momochi died staring at the only part of his life he'd ever been proud of.

As the group watched, Arata slipped away and towards his goal.

As he lay there, agonizing over the dagger in his stomach and the broken limbs from where his own men had trampled him, Gato heard steps and looked up, "I suppose you're here to dance on my grave aren't you boy."

"Tempting, but I just want my knife back," Arata corrected.

The mogul tried to laugh, but the pain in his gut denied him the pleasure, "Somehow I knew she'd have something to do with my death. I didn't think it'd be you though. I should have made the price on your head higher."

"Probably," the redhead replied, shrugging the man off.

Annoyed, Gato spat, "Well don't let me stop you. Take it. Take your master back her knife like a good attack dog."

"I'm no one's pet Gato," the boy sneered.

The businessman coughed, droplets of blood spraying from his mouth, "Oh you're not are you? She and I have more in common than you'd like to admit boy. We're both versed in using people. She could even give me a run for my money. She won after all."

"Shut up!" the redhead snapped, his voice rising, "She's nothing like you."

The crime lord forced a grin past the pain in his torso, "Think child. What were you when you came to my city? A thief. A good one too. I might have used that if she hadn't gotten to you first. She made you more didn't she? A thug, a weapon, isn't that right my little firebug? She used you to get to me just like she used everyone else around her and it looks like it finally worked. Going to hurry back for your pat on the head now?"

Arata glared at the man, ready to snap back with a reply before simply hanging his head, "Can't you die quietly?"

"Not if ruins this for you boy," Gato answered, finally managing a gurgling laugh. With a last twitch, one of the richest men in the world died, destined for a pauper's grave.

Staring at the body, Arata sighed. Bending over, he yanked his dagger free, wiping it on the man's suit before returning it to its sheath, slowly walking back to the crowd with his head hanging.

Finally opening his eyes, the glow fading from his hands, doctor Chuuko gave a weak smile, "This young man is going to be fine."

"As relieved as I am to know someone who tried to kill my students will live doctor," Kakashi said, "I need to ask you some questions about Sasuke's condition."

Ignoring the question, the aged physician continued, "Which is good, because I don't think I'll be making a check up appointment." To the alarm of all present, the old man pitched backwards onto the ground.

As his eyes closed, Chuuko could only mutter, "Damned shinobi with their damned bravado."

* * *

Well, that should do it for this installment. I've been reading over it so much, I'm friggin sick of it (though pretty happy with the outcome). Man am I happy to be back. Please read and review and go to the next chapter for an epilogue.

(1) Okay, I think Iwa is either the village hidden in the mist or earth country. Correct me if I am wrong.

(2) Think the goggles Naruto wore before he got the headband. As for the masks, I looked up a few details on gas masks and heard about improvised ones using materials ranging from water to (not for the weak of heart) urine. History Channel man.

(3) Granted, Sakura becomes super strong later, but the anime hints at inherent strength a number of times going so far as to rip the mast of a boat up and club someone with it.


	13. LOW Epilogue

**Land of Waves Epilogue**

Bars of light slowly crept up the floor of the room through the shades on the window. Eventually, the amber slices of sunlight made their way to the bed's occupant, nagging at his eyes until they were forced to open.

Shifting uneasily, Haku squinted at the morning light before easing his way up, grimacing at the lingering aches in his frame. Sitting on his bed, the missing nin looked over to his only companion in the room.

The boy sat there, not paying Haku any mind, absorbed in his work. Using a knife far too large for the job, he carefully peeled an apple until it glistened in the room's meager light. To his credit, the peel remained in one piece, and, with speed and dexterity Haku might have envied on another day, the fruit was rendered a series of slices on a plate in only a few moments.

Skewering one of the pieces, the boy held the slice out for the ice nin, "Hungry?"

Haku ignored him and turned towards the window.

"You know," the child warned, "We've been given orders to force you to eat if you keep skipping meals. The old man would probably do it himself if we'd let him out of bed(1)." Haku snorted derisively at the comment, but gave no other reply.

"If the knife is what gets to you," the boy continued, unperturbed, "I can assure you I washed it. Tsunami even made me use soap."

Haku's companion shrugged and popped the slice into his mouth, "I can cook something else if you like. I'm not bad."

"Why didn't you kill me Arata?" Haku finally asked.

"Don't think I've heard of that dish," the redhead replied, his speech slurred by another piece of the apple, "But I'll try anything once."

"Am I of worth as a bounty?" the ice nin asked, "Is my only value as a payment now?"

"I'm pretty sure Naruto's already told you no on that one," Arata answered, "You know, between shouting at you for being stubborn and apologizing again for kicking the crap out of you."

"Then why keep me alive?" Haku continued to address the window, "What reason do you have not to kill me?"

"What reason do we have _to_ kill you?" the Genin replied.

"I tried to murder your teammate!" the young man snapped.

"So?" Arata shrugged, "He has that affect on people. Besides, the doc says you didn't aim to kill him, which shows more patients than I usually have for the guy."

Haku was silent for a moment before finally asking, "Do you think you do me a mercy in this? My master is dead. I have nothing now."

The Genin didn't say anything, so the rogue nin turned to the boy, "You once told me you were alone in this world Arata. You know what it is to have no one, to have nothing. I know you do. I've seen it in you. Who are you to let me live, to inflict that upon me again?" Haku regretted the words the moment he'd said them, but the downcast look on the child's face showed it was too late to take them back.

The young man sat in ashamed silence before he heard the redhead speak, "My old teach- an old friend once told me never to look back. Learn from the past and leave it there he said."

The ice nin saw that Arata's face was now set in a hard stare, daring him to tell him he was wrong, "I'm not from Kanoha, Haku. They didn't have to give me this headband, but they did. They gave me chance to be something- something more than nothing. Zabuza did that for you too right?"

Haku could only nod as the Genin spoke, the redhead's eyes softening, "Those people don't come around often enough do they? I don't intend to waste the chance they gave me. You think Zabuza would want you to waste yours? You found a purpose once, so screw it and find another one."

The ice nin looked down, not wanting to meet the gaze of a boy who had far too much in common with him, "It's that simple is it? Then what should I do?"

Arata's face dropped the stare in favor of his usual smirk, "Darned if I know. Pity about this town though."

The rogue nin looked at the boy with curiosity.

"Yep," the Genin continued to ramble, "according to my Sensei, it's only a matter of time till someone else tries to fill Gato's power vacuum, and though I don't see what an appliance has to do with anything, apparently more trouble could be coming. These people have the will to fight now, but I don't know if that'll stop full shinobi when the time comes, and we can't stick around to watch their backs."

Haku stared at the young boy for a moment before stating, "You're not very subtle Arata-san."

"Not when I don't want to be, and I owe this town a favor," the boy grinned, "I hear rent's pretty cheap here too."

After a bit of silence, the young man was moved to smile for the first time in days, "I suppose I could eat some of that apple now."

Arata grinned and looked down at the plate in his lap only to find it empty.

Looking back up awkwardly, the boy said, "How about a nice soup?"

* * *

"Sensei?"

Kakashi groaned and opened his eyes, immediately regretting the action. The artificial light of the kitchen did little to help his hangover. For the past few days, the Jonin hadn't been able to walk down the street without someone stopping him to buy him a drink. While, at first, he'd been happy to encourage the liberated spirit in the local people, one too many nights spent being slammed overenthusiastically on the back and encouraged to have "just one more" had left him desiring nothing more than a few quiet hours to let his liver catch up with him. Finding himself slouched over the kitchen table, he realized he hadn't even made it to bed last night. Rubbing his eye, he looked over to see Naruto staring at him expectantly.

"You need something?" the Jonin groaned.

"Uh, yeah," the Genin mumbled, fidgeting as he stood there.

Even Kakashi's hangover addled mind could see something was bothering the child, "What's wrong?"

"Well," the blonde began, the words coming out hesitantly, "I was just thinking - about something Haku said during the fight."

Kakashi waited for him to continue, "It's just, he said that shinobi are only, well, only tools. That, no matter what, we're going to be used by someone."

Naruto gave his teacher a pleading look, "He's wrong right?"

The copy nin sighed inwardly. It was too early in what he assumed was the morning for something like this.

"Well Naruto," he finally said, "In a lot of ways we are." The Genin seemed to deflate at the answer.

"I'm not finished," the Jonin nin added, "You see, we have incredible strength in our status as shinobi, so those we protect have to trust us not to misuse those powers. In reverse, we have to trust the village not to misuse us."

The blonde stared back in wide-eyed confusion, "Misuse us?"

"We have these abilities," the instructor explained, "But they are not ours to do with as we please. When we swear allegiance to our village, we swear to serve it, to allow it to use our abilities as it sees fit."

"So we are tools?" the boy asked, looking dejected.

"That depends on the village and it's people," Kakashi continued, "Kanoha's leaders have strived for generations to always treat their shinobi as humans, their skills only used with the most careful discretion and the ninja given a greater control over their choices in the field. Other villages treat their ninjas as weapons, tools to an end. If we are tools for Kanoha, we choose to be them because we have faith in our people to use them correctly."

Naruto was speechless for a moment before saying, "So, I only do what I choose to, and I need to be careful who I choose to follow."

The copy nin suppressed a grin. The boy was far from the fool many took him to be.

Taking a deep breathe, Kakashi stated his final point, "The Hokage is the one tasked with balancing all of it. He must walk the line between the will of the people, the will of those under his command, and what he himself thinks is right. A village can do great or terrible things depending on who leads it."

As the message sank in, a grin slowly grew across the boy's face until he announced, "Alright! That's the ticket! I'm gonna be the best Hokage this village has ever seen. No one's gonna be treated like a weapon on my watch!"

"I should hope not," the Jonin commented, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a shower.

Pushing open the door to the hallway, the instructor almost collided with his newest pupil as he backed away rapidly.

Looking down at the Genin, Kakashi asked, "You catch all that?"

The redhead nodded, and the Jonin shrugged, "Good, I hate repeating lessons."

Noticing the boy was going the opposite direction, he added, "You about to cook something?"

"Soup for our guest," Arata answered.

"Better make enough for me too, I'm starving. Naruto will probably want some too…"

Grumbling something about not being their personal chef, the boy passed his teacher, the man not even noticing the headband now gleaming upon the boy's forehead.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting Sasuke. I swear, you're as bad as Naruto."

The raven-haired Genin was about to snap back with a retort, but decided against it, wanting to get the matter over with.

Carefully, Sakura peeled back the bandages over the boy's throat, exposing the pale new flesh. Upending a bottle of disinfectant against a cotton swab quickly, the girl began to clean the sealed wound. The calm ministrations struck the boy as familiar. The girl was certainly more gentle than the young medic nins who gained experience at the academy healing training injuries. In truth, as Sakura worked, carefully smoothing the clean gauze over his neck to form the new bandage, she reminded him more of his mother when she had still been the one to clean his wounds before, well, before everything. The thought stung, but he pushed it down, down to where he pushed everything else.

"There, all done," Sakura said in a mock-cute voice.

Sasuke looked at the girl, suddenly desiring to say something more than a simple thank you for some reason.

"Sakura," he called, stopping the girl from leaving.

"Yes Sasuke?" she asked, looking at him expectantly.

Crap, he hadn't thought that far ahead, "Uh, well… Arata said you fought well before… at the battle." Smooth.

The girl's eyes grew downcast, and the boy realized that might not have been the best praise.

Trying again, he said, "Well, I mean, it's good to know I- we can rely on you, that you're a good shinobi."

The girl's face perked up again, and the Genin released the breath he'd been holding.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun," she said softly before leaving.

Sighing, the boy had to admit that she had grown considerably less annoying than she had once been. It was good to know she could fight too. He got the feeling Arata didn't throw around praise. She'd even managed not to squeal-

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!"

until she'd left the room.

* * *

"You're coming back right?" a pair of watery and pleading eyes looked up at Naruto.

"Of course I am Inari," The blonde replied, his own eyes shinning.

"You two are such children," sighed Sakura, wondering if _she_ was producing more testosterone than this moment. Team Seven stood at the border of Wave Country, marked by the finished bridge, being sent off by half of the residents and their now former employer's family.

"You going to hug or what?" Arata snickered.

"Hey, watch it!" Inari shouted, turning and throwing a punch at the redhead.

The Genin caught it easily and remarked, "Not bad form."

"Thanks!" the boy grinned with pride, "Naruto-san taught me. Will you teach me some moves too when you come back."

"Sure," Arata laughed, "As long as you never get any ideas about fighting fair."

"What kind of influence are you?" Sakura scolded her teammate as Inari promised he wouldn't.

"Arata," Tsunami called.

The boy stepped forward, and the mother held out a book, "Here, it's an advanced cook book, one of my favorites. I have most of it memorized, so I want you to have it. I've never seen a young man with your talent." His face a sudden scarlet, the boy thanked her and placed the gift in his pack while his teammates enjoyed their own laughter.

"I only thought it appropriate," Tazuna announced, his voice at an oratory volume, "That with all that these brave young Shinobi have done for our people, that we name this new masterpiece of design the Team Seven Bridge(2)!" A cheer of agreement leapt up from the crowd.

"Thank you Tazuna-san," Kakashi replied, "and good luck."

"Don't need it," the man laughed, "I'm already getting new offers for work."

"Just finish rebuilding my home first!" came the voice of Doctor Chuuko, still in wheelchair at the insistence of Tsunami. A number of people had a chuckle over the matter as the team made to leave.

"Come on team," the instructor called, "We're late enough returning as it is."

With numerous goodbyes echoing behind them, Team Seven began the journey home.

"Are they really going to be okay Sensei?" Sakura asked, a bit of worry in her voice.

"We'll see," Sasuke shrugged, unable to keep himself from adding, "I hope so though."

Naruto turned to look over his shoulder, noticing the thin shadow watching them from the rooftops of the city, the oversized weight on his back nearly taller than its owner, "Nah, they'll be fine. Race you home!"

* * *

_I got good news and bad news kid. I got business outside of here, far away. Pity considering I just finished getting you to eat, but I'm sick of the ocean view._

_The good news is, you might be useful, so I figure you can tag along if you want. Just don't get in my way, got it? You're earning your own way too. What do you say?..._

_Good!_

_

* * *

_

Huzzah! The Land of Waves is done. The short length is due to it being the end of the last chapter chopped off for being too long. I'll hopefully see all of you in two weeks. Merry Christmas!

(1)Did you really think death itself could stop a man that crotchety? Truly the grim reaper himself can't stand being in the room with the guy.

(2) I'll be honest, why the heck did Naruto get all the credit when it come time to name the bridge?


	14. Homecoming

Homecoming

"Were the mission objectives met?"

"Yes Hokage-sama. The Bridge builder and his family's safety have been insured for some time to come."

"It says here you were supposed to serve as body guards for the period of time until he reached his home," nagged the man on the Sandaime's left, a hooked nosed paper pusher giving the team an incredulous look.

"True," admitted Kakashi, "but unforeseen circumstances in the form of our opposition called for an extended mission length."

"Right," agreed the Hokage, "the business you mentioned with Zabuza Momochi. Confirmed kill?"

"Confirmed," came the terse reply.

"Then your pay will be supplemented with the bounty, however, there was no official bounty on the young man traveling with him and you lack a body to produce as proof of a kill for the rogue Obutsu," commented the bureaucrat, stamping a few papers before clamping them together with a paper clip and sliding them into an envelope, "Do you want the payment divided between your students or will you claim the mark?"

"Divided," replied the Jonin.

"Fine then," said Sarutobi, "Iruka will handle the team's pay."

"Thank you Hokage-sama," the copy nin said, "I would also like to request a chance to speak with you at your soonest convenience."

Sarutobi sighed, "Even with the Chunin exams two months away, there is no convenient time, but I can spare a few minutes later this evening."

"That's all I ask," Kakashi said before bowing and walking over to the table manned by Iruka and returning to his students carrying a bundle of small envelopes bound by a rubber band.

"Here are our mission payments," he said, passing the packets out between them. The Genin took the envelopes with stiff movements, their exhaustion evident in their frames. The team hadn't even been given a chance to rest after their hurried pace home, being rushed strait to debriefing.

"Oh, and Naruto," the instructor called, getting the blonde's attention, "Umino-san asked me to tell you that he wants to meet you at Ichiraku's in twenty minute. He'll be off of his shift by then."

The Genin looked up, seemingly apprehensive about the news before deciding to smile and nod.

Kakashi surveyed the group, noticing the numb look in their eyes. He recognized it from seeing a number of other shinobi coming back from their first missions. They were burnt out and the Jonin would see that they got the next few days off.

"Well, you're dismissed. Take the week off and report to training ground seven at eight in the morning," the instructor said, trying to give a gentle smile before walking past the group. He had a few matters to settle before meeting with the Sandaime.

The Genin began to make their way to the exit. Arata hefted the envelope in his hand before opening it and sliding the small stack of bills out. His eyes went wide.

"You're kidding," the boy muttered.

"About what?" Sakura asked.

The redhead looked up, his face a bit red at having been caught, "It's just, this is, uh, more than expected."

"Oh," the kunoichi replied, suddenly realizing the context and trying not to put her foot in her mouth, "Well, that's good right?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Arata shrugged, "It's the first of many right?"

The boy took a thoughtful pose before Sakura prodded, "What is it?"

Arata only exaggerated the face and asked, "What do you people do with money you earned legally?" Naruto managed a tired laugh.

"Why do I even try to have serious conversations with you two?!" the girl replied exasperated.

"You spend it," Sasuke pointed out, having no patience for niceties, "You want to eat something? I'm starved."

Turning to Sakura, the former thief asked, "You want to come along?"

The girl blushed at the request. After all, Arata might have asked, but it would be dinner with Sasuke, and on a casual basis no less! That would burn Ino to no end. Still, she needed to get home. The thought of sleeping in her own bed again sent shivers down her spine that overcame even Romance's call.

Part of her already regretting it, Sakura answered, "Sorry, my parents are expecting me." The group gave their goodbyes as they stepped outside, the sun already setting and painting the sky a brilliant orange quickly aging to violet, each child heading their own way.

* * *

Her feet aching and her stomach grumbling, Sakura Haruno somehow managed to climb up the front steps of her home. Slipping the key from her pocket, she let herself into the house and stopped to breathe it in. The whole home had a scent all it's own, a fragrance she hadn't known she'd missed so much. Her mother's habitual baking habits had infused nearly the entire home with the scent of fresh-baked bread, and the girl found her stomach calling an end to the reminiscence as it demanded a healthy serving of the food.

Before she went any further, the girl turned to her right and looked at the small table holding a picture of her brother. The muscled young man beamed at the cameraman from beneath his brown locks, proudly hooking his thumbs in his new Chunin vest. Of course they'd chosen that picture. It had been his best moment. Sakura looked at the candles surrounding the frame and bent over to sniff them. She sighed as her nose told her the flames had been lit recently. They'd been praying for her. Or at least her mother had. It wasn't a good sign that the lace spread out beneath the setup had a number of discolored spots. She'd been crying too.

Hearing hurried steps coming from the direction of the kitchen, Sakura looked up to see her mother rushing towards her. Yanagi Haruno was a thin woman, sporting a main of long hair the color her family was recognized for. She was known for her passion towards much of her life and for when that passion could get her into trouble. It came as little surprise to any that knew the family that her daughter had taken after her.

Her arms spread wide, she nearly bowled her daughter over as she grabbed her, forcing her daughter's face into her shoulder. Shaking Sakura from left to right with the savage hug, she nearly shouted in the poor kunoichi's ear, "You're back! Thank Kami you're back." "Crap" was all that went through Sakura's mind. Her mother was going to cry if she kept this up.

Gently, Sakura broke the suffocating hug and pushed back from her mother, "Yeah mom, I'm also hungry, so could we eat now?"

"Of course," Yanagi smiled, "I wish you could have sent a message ahead, I would have cooked something nicer." Sakura offered an apology as she was dragged into the kitchen.

"Good to see you're back kiddo."

Looking to the dinner table, she found a man leaning back in his chair, looking past his glasses and newspaper at the kunoichi.

"Hey daddy," the girl said, putting on her best smile over her exhausted expression.

Kashiwa Haruno had been one of the last choices anyone would have picked for Yanagi to marry. Where his wife had been the picture of the proper woman, flitting about and full of charismatic energy, Kashiwa was happy to spend his time at the local bars, trading tall tales and overenthusiastic laughter with any stranger he met. He never drank too much, but rather just the right amount to make the stories interesting enough to draw a crowd. To the surprise of many, the two married almost out of the blue. To the surprise of many more, Kashiwa gave up going to bars altogether, immediately dedicating himself to a career in construction, eventually rising to site manager. To anyone on the outside, he'd embraced the role of family man like he'd been born for it.

"Would it kill you to get up and welcome your daughter home?" Yanagi nagged as she pulled their dinner from the oven, placing it, of course, next to a fresh loaf of bread.

"She's got legs doesn't she?" the man replied, "And I welcomed her. What more do you want?"

"Honestly," the woman huffed. The man grinned to himself, and, for a moment, Sakura expected to see one of her father's old winks in her direction. But it didn't come. She missed those. Placing her things in the hallway to be taken upstairs later, Sakura took her usual seat at the table.

Carrying the roast to her family, Yanagi said, "Well you're home now, so tell us about your first real mission."

"It was…" the girl hesitated. She couldn't really put it into words. The whole experience was still stewing in her mind. She also wasn't keen to discuss it with her parents. Her mother would just worry over the matter and her father…

"It was rough Mom," she eventually said, "But we made it through. The team's a lot stronger now, and we got to protect some good people."

Sakura saw her mother's face contort in worry for a moment before the woman forced her smile back on, "Good. I'm just relieved you're home."

"So am I," the girl agreed, "I missed your cooking."

"I'll bet you did," the woman chuckled, setting down the pan of bread and placing a serving fork with the roast. The trio gave a quick prayer and dug in.

"To be honest though," Sakura managed through her first slice of bread, "Arata kept us really well fed."

"Arata?" her mother echoed.

"Oh yeah," the girl realized she hadn't mentioned him, "He's our newest teammate."

"That's right," her mother remembered, "You got a new partner. You know, with all your missions and the training, I haven't had a chance to ask you much about your team."

The kunoichi recognized the subtle poke. She wouldn't see the end of the passive aggressive jabs until she talked, but that was just the way her mother was.

"Well," the girl began, swallowing a piece of the roast, "I couldn't stand the guys at first, but I think we've really started to work well together."

"I assume you're keeping up," came her father's voice over the paper. Sakura's face fell at the comment, but she did her best to ignore it.

"Sasuke's just what his clan name says," the girl continued, a bit of dreamy longing in her eyes, "He was so cool when he fought. He's easily the strongest of us. I just wish he'd warm up some." Sakura refused to say anything to the "humph" that came from behind the sports section as another fork-full of food disappeared behind it.

"He always was a good young man," her mother commented, forcing the conversation forward, "Tell me, how is that new boy?"

Sakura nodded as she got to her most recent teammate, "Arata's… interesting."

"Right," Yanagi agreed, "He was the homeless boy the village took in, wasn't he?"

"Mother!" Sakura scolded her elder, "Don't call him homeless. They're getting him an apartment, and he has a job now. He's a Genin like me or Sasuke."

"Sorry," her mother blushed, "I just think it's such a good thing what the Hokage is doing, giving that boy a chance and all. I hope they aren't pushing him too hard though, making him a Genin already."

"Bit of pity gesture if you ask me," Kashiwa stated.

The kunoichi glared at her father through the paper before forcefully skewering another bite and grinding it in her jaw, "Actually, I worried about that too Mom, but he's keeping up just as fine as any of us. His cooking is to die for too, and he learns really fast, just like Naruto."

It was Yanagi's turn to have her smile falter, "Right, the boy in the orange. He hasn't been too much trouble for you has he?"

Sakura was a bit curious as to the expression, but assumed her mother was working with the same reputation Naruto had with most of the adults, "No, it surprised me, but he's actually a pretty good shinobi. Sasuke's still better, but he keeps impressing all of us. He's still a pest though."

"Well, good," her mother forced out, "Just… keep an eye on him."

"I guess," the girl shrugged, "But he's stopped making any real trouble. He just keeps pestering me for a date." Another snort was heard from her father.

Yanagi winced as her daughter refused to let that one slide, "Something wrong dad?"

Kashiwa turned another page and stated, "Just thinking dear."

Sakura wasn't finished, "About what?"

"Nothing dear," the man said through another bite, "Just that the village's standards seem to be getting a bit low."

Yanagi grew tense as she watched her daughter's eye twitch, "In what way?"

A corner of the paper bent forward, enough for the kunoichi to see her father's apathetic eyes still reading, "Well, I understand the Uchiha boy getting through, but the Uzumachi is known for being the last in his class and he still graduates. And this Arata boy, they didn't even have him trained before-"

Sakura didn't know what brought her to the defense of Naruto, but the kunoichi suddenly found herself feeling as if she were taking the brunt of the insults as much as he was. The boy was annoying as hell, and she'd agree with criticism of that, but the way he pushed himself; it just seemed unfair to pick at his skills as a shinobi.

"Arata and Naruto are good teammates dad," Sakura interrupted, her temper raising her voice, "They fought just as hard as any of us, and we even beat a Jonin."

"You fought a Jonin?" her mother cried in alarm, "What kind of mission did they send you on?"

"It wasn't like that mom," the girl said, trying to calm her mother down, "The contractor didn't give us the full story when he hired us."

Folding his paper to fully join the conversation, Kashiwa said, "See, that's what I mean. If you're going to be in this situation, you need teammates who can stand by you, who can protect you-"

"I don't need protection dad!" Sakura snapped.

"Young lady, you will show your father some respect," Yanagi scolded.

"It's fine honey," Kashiwa stated before turning back to his daughter, "I'm just saying you need to trust your teammates, and we don't even know how loyal that homeless boy is. If you're in danger, can you count on either of them to stand by you? Uddo's teammates-"

"This isn't about Uddo dad!" Sakura interrupted her father again, "This is about me. You don't think I can do this!"

"That's not what I said," her father growled back, frustration beginning to show in his words, "I just think you need to be careful, to be prepared if this doesn't work out."

"This is my life now dad," the kunoichi shot back, "It can't 'not work out'. I want to serve my village-"

It was Kashiwa's turn to interrupt, blustering at his daughter's attitude, "You want a boyfriend!"

Sakura felt the tears threaten her eyes at her father's words but pushed them down as he kept raising his voice, "Uddo became a shinobi to protect this country, to do his part in keeping it safe. Well, this family's paid its dues, and I won't have you insult his memory by wearing the same uniform to attract some silly little crush!" Seeing her father seething in his seat, the girl felt the first hot tears begin to roll down her cheeks.

Looking down, she simply stood and said, "Fine, if you want to eat dinner with Uddo's memory more than me, I'm leaving."

"Sakura," her mother called, reaching for her arm. The kunoichi pulled it back and walked towards the door. As she felt the cool night air hit her face, she could hear her mother weeping behind her. She ignored it. She'd been doing everything she could since she was a little girl to keep her from crying. She was just too tired to try anymore.

* * *

His back aching after too long crouched over paperwork, Sarutobi shuffled into his office and plopped down into his favorite chair. He loved that chair. He'd had it for decades and had refused multiple attempts to replace it. If the Sandaime had his way, the village would just lower his body into the ground, still leaning back in that leather and wood triumph of comfort.

His chance to revel in the sheer cushioned glory was cut short when the intercom on his desk rang.

"Hokage-sama," came the hissing and popping voice of his secretary, "Hatake Kakashi is here to see you."

Groaning as he forced himself to sit up, the old man pressed his finger to the button and said, "Fine, send him in." The door to his office opened, and the copy nin in question sauntered into the room.

"My," Sarutobi commented, reaching for his pipe, "I didn't expect you for a few more hours Hatake. What threat has the urgency to cause you to be on time?"

The silver-haired Jonin smiled with his one eye and replied, "Well, I apologize for preventing your nap sir, but I felt it best to get your advice on a matter."

The Hokage gave a tired glare at the man's comment and refused to give any sign that the instructor had been correct.

Stuffing a bit of fresh tobacco into the mouth of his pipe, the man asked, "About what?"

"One of my students, Hokage-sama," Kakashi answered.

With a flick of his wrist, Sarutobi extinguished the match he'd just used to light his favored guilty pleasure and nodded, "Naruto correct? I've been reading the shadow copy of your report." The "shadow" copy was a document that technically didn't exist. Most official papers detailing a mission's progress were painfully devoid of details. Battles were listed as little more than who won and who died, contracts were mostly numbers on a page, and much of it might very well be untrue. Any real or important facts were kept in what were commonly referred to by those trusted with the knowledge as "shadow" documents, never meant for the eyes of anyone outside of the village.

Naruto's episode with his tenant during the combat with Zabuza had caught the aged shinobi's attention, "Are you concerned about his ability to control the fox?"

Most might have flinched at the open mention of the creature, but Kakashi simply answered, "No. In fact I believe he showed the opposite. With time, Naruto has the potential to harness much of what's inside him. I have great hopes for the child." The Sandaime smiled. Many took the man in front of him for an aloof individual, uncaring of his students. In truth, though he tried hard to maintain the opposite image, the copy nin cared dearly for those close to him, and the Hokage felt he'd chosen correctly in making him Naruto's sensei.

The pipe bobbed in his mouth as the Sandaime spoke, "Then what's the problem? You didn't mention anything else of note even through the proper channels."

"I assume it's safe to talk," the Jonin let the inquiry hang in the air. Even those with knowledge of Naruto's sealing were not completely trustworthy.

"It became that way when you shut that door Hatake," Sarutobi assured him, "Now speak." It was true. Even the pair of ANBU stationed to discourage people from listening in knew better than to let their ears get away from them.

"It's about Arata," Kakashi finally let slip.

Smoke curled out and up from the old man's lips as his mouth went rigid with thought, "Do you suspect the boy?"

"No," the teacher shook his head, "he's given no sign that he's anything more than a child damaged by… a lot of things. At least mentally."

"You do love to bait the air don't you Kakashi? Take a seat," the Hokage sighed, producing a small cloud that rose to join the gathering haze on the ceiling.

The Jonin took the offered chair and said, "It has to do with the battle between Sakura, Naruto, Arata, and the rogue Iwa nin."

"Obutsu?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yes," Kakashi confirmed, "You know how the report said I arrived in time to relieve them?"

The Sandaime nodded, and the man continued, "Well, I didn't. I arrived in time to find Arata on top of his body."

The aged shinobi's brow shot up at the words, "That's quite a feat for a Genin, even if he did have the help of his teammates and this deceased 'Haku' your report mentioned. Any clue on how he did it?"

Kakashi nodded, "My Sharingan was activated at the time in anticipation for the fight. When I got there, Arata was displaying a chakra capacity he'd never shown before. Nothing inhuman, but impressive for his age and certainly much greater than anything he'd shown before. The energy was focused, as if he were using a jutsu."

"And?" the Hokage bade him continue.

"I couldn't read it. Not in the least," the Jonin leaned in as he finally reached his point, "I think you know what that means."

Slouching back into his chair, letting the back support his weight, Sarutobi ground his pipe between his teeth, "I'll be. The boy has a Kekkei-Genkai. Did he know about it?"

The instructor shook his head, "No, and I don't think he was lying. He doesn't seem to have any memory of actually using the ability either."

Scratching the stubble on his chin, the old man commented, "It's been known to happen in these circumstances."

Leaning back over his desk, Sarutobi took his pipe in hand and pointed it at the ninja in front of him, "Well, now we have an obligation, don't we? You did the right thing coming to me for my expertise. We'll start searching for any signs of a clan immediately. I realize we may loose the boy in the ensuing politics, but so be it." Waiting for the thankfulness of his subordinate, the man was surprised to see apprehension in the copy nin's eye.

"I sense you're preparing to ruin my self satisfaction, Hatake," he prodded, hoping he was wrong.

His fears were confirmed as the Jonin spoke, "There is. When I got to the boy, he… wasn't himself. He was on top of Obutsu's body, still striking it. He'd clearly made the man's death painful, barbaric even. I don't think he even noticed Obutsu was dead."

The Hokage clamped his mouth down on his pipe again as he listened to the grisly details, "I tried to calm him down, and it looked like he was about to attack me, like he didn't even know who I was. He seemed to finally recognize me, but then he feinted."

The two sat in silence as Sarutobi puffed out rings of contemplative smoke.

Eventually, the older of the pair spoke, "Judging by the silence, we've both put the clues together."

Kakashi nodded, "Berserker Jutsu."

Berserker Jutsu. The words hung in the air, suspended there by the reputation and images they garnered. Images of men gone mad in rage, ignorant of any pain, any pleasure, anything that didn't involve killing. The words spoke of shinobi striking down men they'd considered brothers in their quest to quench their thirst, of creatures released on the battlefield only to be retrieved once they'd fought themselves to exhaustion, if they were still alive at all.

"This doesn't bode well for the boy's career," Sarutobi stated.

"He can't help it," the instructor argued, "It's a blood trait."

"Doesn't matter," the Sandaime countered, "The style's been banned in all nations since the last great war. We'd be breaking treaties left and right letting him remain a shinobi at all."

"What do we do then?" Kakashi asked, frustration breaking into his voice.

"Try to find out what it is," the aged shinobi said, "There's no guarantee it's a Berserker Jutsu. I've never seen one in a bloodline. They're mostly taught. The life expectancy of a berserker pretty much kills any chance of steady breeding. It's possible that he misused whatever jutsu he unlocked. Some of the Inuzukas' techniques have been mislabeled berserker jutsus when their youths have lost control of the more feral aspects. If it's something different, maybe we can figure out a way to help him control it, or find family that can. So, can you tell me anything about the jutsu?"

"Not much," the Jonin sighed, unconsciously pressing his palm against his headband to rub his eye, "I only glimpsed it before he passed out, and the Sharingan was useless."

"Well just tell me what you _did _see," Sarutobi prodded.

"The chakra focus was on the eyes. Definitely some kind of Dojutsu," Kakashi rattled off from memory.

"Hmm," the old man tapped his chin with the mouthpiece of his pipe, "Now we're getting somewhere, but maybe another dead end. I've never heard of a berserker jutsu that takes the form of a Dojutsu. They tend to focus in the brainstem, cutting off messages of pain and the like. Tell me, what did the eyes themselves look like? Did they change? Did you get a good look?"

The instructor seemed to falter for a moment, as if unsure how to continue.

He finally seemed to make up his mind as he said, "They were… eerie. I remember they were black. All black. There was nothing else to them but this glossy opaqueness, like a doll or a shark. They just had this unnerving feeling to them, like I was staring out on a dark night. It was there for a second and gone. I don't know, maybe they had an inherent genjutsu, but I should have been able to see through that."

Kakashi realized he'd been staring up as he'd been thinking, and he hadn't received any reply from his superior. Looking down, he saw the Hokage's features had gone ashen. The pipe in his hand looked as if it were about to crack in the steel grip of the man's fist.

"Hokage-sama?" the Jonin asked.

His voice almost shaking, the old man only said, "Are you sure Kakashi? Are you absolutely sure his eyes had gone completely black?"

The copy nin nodded but said, "Why? Do you recognize the technique?"

The Sandaime was ignoring him though and had hung his head, smoke rising from beneath the brim of his hat as he smoked at a feverish pace.

"One more," Kakashi could hear him muttering to himself, "Kami, there was one more. If I'd known… How could I not know? He was right in front of me! The medical records, the eyes. Damn it all!"

The Jonin was concerned now, "Sir? Are you okay?"

The man looked up, as if realizing Kakashi was still there, "What?"

"Are you okay sir?" the instructor repeated.

The old man shook his head, "No. I'm not okay, not in the least. I don't suspect I will be anytime soon either."

"Sir?" the Jonin found himself feeling like he was being left out of something, and he hated that, "What about Arata? Do you know his family?"

"Yes," the old man said, seeming to deflate in his chair, his face sagging with sudden wrinkles, "But you can't tell him."

"Why?" Kakashi demanded. He'd never seen the Sandaime like this. It worried him, and if it had to do with one of his pupils, he had even more reason to be concerned.

"Because," the old man began but stopped, "I can't tell you."

The copy nin glared at the answer, "Arata has a right to know if he has family."

"No Kakashi," Sarutobi stood firm on the matter, grasping onto it and pulling himself back together, "You can't know and neither can he. I'm sorry, but this runs deep, deeper even than a former ANBU captain."

"Besides," the man said, refusing to meet Kakashi's eyes, "He doesn't have any family. They're dead. Every one of them."

The Jonin found his heart sinking at the announcement. He didn't look forward to explaining it to Arata.

"What do we do about the jutsu then?" the copy nin replied in a sullen voice.

Sarutobi waved him off, "It's not a berserker jutsu… I don't think, I didn't know much about the clan's jutsus. Almost no one did. Regardless, it shouldn't make a reappearance any time soon. Kekkei Genkai releases like that are usually due to a life long build-up of hormones and chakra. Now that the pressure is gone, he'd have to directly try to use the jutsu again, and I shouldn't have to tell you he's under orders to never attempt to use it himself."

"So what?" Kakashi spat, his frustration and fear for his student giving way and causing him to stand, "We just let him grow up crippled by his own bloodline?"

The Sandaime growled at the question, "I'll thank you not to accuse me of such things Hatake. I have no intention of treating the child like that. He's clearly been through enough as it is. I know someone who can help him. She knew more about his family than I ever did, than anyone I think. She'll train him, help him come to terms with everything." At least, the Hokage hoped she would.

The instructor calmed himself and bowed, taking a seat once again, "I'm sorry Hokage-sama. You're right. You would never do something like that. But I still don't know what I can tell him. He's expecting an answer."

Thinking for a moment, the old man said, "Tell him the truth. His family was killed, wiped out, and we can't tell him who they were for his own safety."

"You don't know him," Kakashi argued, "He's not going to like that."

"He's going to have to until after the Chunin exams," the Sandaime replied, "I won't have time to reach her until after the tournament. Or string him along until I can find her. Take your pick."

Standing, the Jonin asked, "Is there anything else sir?"

"No," the man said, returning to his own thoughts, "You may go Hatake."

Once the door was closed, or rather slammed behind the copy nin, Sarutobi released his breath. Reaching into a lower drawer of his desk, he pulled out a crystal bottle of amber liquor, along with a matching glass. Pouring himself a healthy portion of the burning liquid, the man began to nurse the drink as he thought.

How many years now? Twelve? Thirteen at the most. He was the right age. Barely. Still, how? How had he lived where all the others had died? Whatever had killed them wouldn't have left one child alive, not if it had the strength to murder a clan like theirs. The thought of anything that had the strength to kill them all at once made the Hokage shudder. It didn't make sense. He wondered if he should just be happy they'd found him. That family had been a blessing. He'd searched harder than almost anyone when they'd first disappeared, but years later and still empty handed save a handful of bodies, he'd had to admit to himself that they were gone. All except, apparently, for this one. He knew he should be rejoicing, but all he could think about was the boy's life. Arata may be alive, but he was alone, alone with a bloodline that scared Sarutobi just thinking about it. Judging by verbal medical reports, the attending nurse refusing to put anything in writing, they might not even have been the first to find him. He'd most certainly need to take a greater interest in investigating the boy's past. Still, as much as he wanted to, he couldn't fix this. He needed help. He needed to contact her.

The Sandaime pressed the cool glass to the ache flaring up in his forehead. She was going to be angry when she found out he'd waited so long, but he didn't have a choice. The whole village was at stake with the exams coming up, and a message like this needed to be delivered in person. No courier could be trusted aside from Jaraiya, and who knew where the hell he was? It would be enough trouble just trying to _find _her.

Standing and walking over to the wall of windows that gave him a view of all of Kanoha, Sarutobi finished his glass and muttered darkly to himself, "I'm sorry Arata. It looks like you have to be alone for just a little longer. Don't worry, Tsunade will kill me for you when she finds out." Sighing, he returned to his desk and poured himself another glass.

* * *

"This place should do," Sasuke stated, leading his companion to the restaurant.

"You sure?" Arata asked, eyeing the establishment.

"Yes, why?" the Uchiha answered, "It's not too expensive is it? Most people eat here."

"I wouldn't know," the redhead shrugged, "I don't eat at places like this."

The raven-haired Genin hesitated. Despite common opinion, he wasn't a complete jerk, and he wasn't in any hurry to make his teammate uncomfortable. Then again, Kakashi had been pushing him, along with Naruto and Sakura, to try and ease the boy out of his comfort zone.

"It shouldn't take much from your payment to cover the dinner," the Uchiha decided, "Why not have a meal you don't have to cook? Celebration for coming home or some nonsense."

Arata's pace slowed as he looked at his feet. His partner froze. Crap. He'd probably just said something he shouldn't. Where was Naruto when he finally needed him? As much as it pained Sasuke to admit it, the dobe seemed better with people than he was, especially with Arata.

The redhead's face finally turned upwards, and the Uchiha was surprised to see a slight grin on his face, "Homecoming. I could get used to that." Sasuke smiled back at him, relieved he hadn't just caused a scene. This emotional stuff wasn't so hard.

As the two stepped inside, the waiter seating customers perked up as he recognized the darker haired of the two Genin.

Hurrying over, he greeted the honored guest, "Welcome Mr. Uchiha. Table for two, or are you expecting more?"

Arata raised an eyebrow at the "Mr.", but Sasuke ignored him as he said, "Just two."

"Right this way," the man said with a wave of his hand, leading the two to a table immediately. As the pair of Genin sat, the waiter rattled off the night's specials before taking their drink orders and hustling to the kitchen.

Sasuke sighed inwardly, knowing what was coming.

The wry grin on his companion's face told him he was right, "Well, can't say I've ever eaten with a VIP before. Tell me, am I underdressed? I'm underdressed aren't I?"

"Funny," the Uchiha growled.

Smile still firmly planted on his face Arata asked, "What's the deal? The guy was tripping over his own shoes to get on your good side."

Rolling his eyes, Sasuke said, "My family's reputation has more pull than I'd like it to sometimes."

Arata suddenly remembered his teammate's surname. The boy had trolled enough bars, catching info on possible sources of income, to have heard about the illustrious clan, and of an apparent downfall, though everyone seemed too spooked to mention any details.

Not wanting to push the point he simply leaned back in his chair and said, "I get what you mean. I pull one too many jobs in a town, and suddenly I can't go about an honest night of dishonesty without attracting a crowd. Granted, my crowd wants to arrest me, and yours seems to want your autograph, but the similarities are there."

The raven-haired Genin smirked. The boy was off on one of his tangents again. Maybe he could head this one off at the pass and get Sensei off his back at the same time.

"So," the boy broke in, "Why are you still here?"

Arata stopped talking and looked at his teammate, "You don't appreciate my sparkling personality?"

"I mean, why'd you stick around?" the Uchiha pushed, "What made you want to be a shinobi?"

"The health plan?" the redhead offered, absentmindedly grabbing a roll and squeezing it in his hand.

"You're going to have to answer me eventually," Sasuke continued, "I just want to know what made you stay here, give up what you were doing before."

"Why do you want to know?" Arata countered.

The raven-haired boy folded his hands and rested his chin on them, "Kakashi-sensei told us to ask, to get to know you better. He won't shut up about it."

The former thief chuckled before scratching his chin, "Fair enough, if it gets you a pass with the guy."

As he spoke the boy looked up, plucking off small pieces of bread and rolling them between his fingers, "I had a friend a while back. She watched my back for a while and I watched hers. She always said, no matter what, we weren't real criminals."

"You do a fantastic impression," the redhead's dining partner commented.

"Something like that," the boy grinned, "Anyway, she said we weren't criminals. Criminals cheat, steal, whatever no matter where they are and what they've got. It's what they choose to be. We _had_ to be what we were, and only to those that had it coming."

"Necessity," Sasuke agreed.

"Name of the game," Arata nodded, "Anyway, we went out separate ways, part of that whole reputation thing."

"So you're doing this to remember her," the raven-haired boy announced, proud to have gotten a real answer from his teammate.

"What?" the Genin asked, looking back down, "Hell no. I'm doing it out of fear. Lots of fear. If she found out I could be doing this instead of thievery and whatnot, and wasn't, she'd kick my ass. That and the money. I'm doing it for the money too." The Uchiha found himself rubbing his temples. There went the moment.

Finally popping the roll into his mouth, Arata asked, "Alright, your turn. Why are you in this job?" Sasuke's eyes widened a bit in surprise. No one had asked him that. Everyone in the village just assumed it was what an Uchiha did, and he wasn't in the mood to explain the real reason.

He waived the question off, "Part of being in a clan. You just do it."

"Come on," the redhead prodded, "You just did it 'cause of your name?"

"Yes," was the only answer.

"Bull," the Genin replied, "I've ripped off enough clans to know that every member isn't a shinobi. What made you want to be one?"

Sasuke glowered at his teammate's unwavering smirk for a moment, "It's personal."

"So was what I just told you," Arata countered, "Pay up." The raven-haired boy now glared at his companion over his knuckles.

He was pushing buttons the Uchiha hadn't had pushed in a long time, and he was beginning to lose his temper, "No. Now I told you to let it go."

"You're really going to leave me hanging?" the boy poked one more time.

One time too many, "How about this. I'll tell you about why I do this when you tell me what happened to your back." Arata's smile suddenly melted into a look of nervous anger.

"That's not your business," the boy said.

"Neither is my life," Sasuke shot back.

"Well excuse me for intruding on your little pity party," Arata snapped, not about to be spoken down to, "It must have been real hard growing up with people falling over themselves to wipe your ass."

"You don't know anything about my family," the Uchiha growled.

"I know you had one," the redhead said, "So you outscore me there already. You got screwed? Fine, join the club. I just asked you a question."

"And I told you to let it go," the other boy argued, "But you just had to push it with your stupid jokes didn't you?"

"Uh, sirs?"

"What!?" the boys nearly shouted in unison, causing the waiter to almost jump, which would have ended poorly considering the drinks he was holding. The two remembered where they were and returned to their seats. Neither had realized they'd stood up. Placing the drinks on the table, the man said he'd give them a little more time to choose what they'd like to eat before fleeing back to the kitchen.

The two Genin sat in silence, neither looking at each other.

Arata spoke first, "I'm an asshole."

"Yeah, you are," Sasuke agreed, continuing before the boy could snap back, "But I can be a jerk when it comes to that stuff… Sorry about your back."

"Sorry about your butt," the redhead apologized, "I'm certain you're fully capable of cleaning it."

Staring down at his silverware, twirling the knife between two fingers, Sasuke sighed, "That mission sucked."

Arata nodded without making eye contact, finally admitting to his own frayed nerves, "Yeah, it did. Think they're all going to be like that?"

The Uchiha shrugged, "Not for Genin, but eventually… I guess we better be ready."

"Necessity," the former thief echoed before chuckling to himself, "You know the worst part?"

"What?" Sasuke replied.

"I can't wait to see if we can take it," Arata grinned. Sasuke looked the boy in the eye, the two sharing a perfect understanding between them for the first time. Despite his best efforts, he smiled back.

"So what's good here?"

"The burger doesn't look bad." The two managed a civil conversation until the waiter returned, relieved to see them calm.

"A fine choice, Mr. Uchiha," the man said, turning to Arata, "And you, Mr… I'm sorry."

"Arata's fine," the boy said, handing the waiter the menu, "And I'll have the burger, no mayo(*)." The man suddenly went a bit pale.

The redhead raised an eyebrow in confusion until he was asked, "You're the young man from the Nobend compound?" The fellow looked at Arata like he might have some kind of disease.

The boy readied a reply, but Sasuke beat him to it, "Why? Do you have a problem serving my friend?" The heavy emphasis on the last word broke the man from his apparent attempts to make Arata disappear by making him feel uncomfortable enough.

"No sir," the waiter sputtered, nervously gathering their empty drinks and leaving to place their orders, but not before casting another suspicious glance at the former thief.

"Nuts," the redhead said when the man was out of earshot, "They're going to count the silverware now. Like I'd steal silverware. You need the whole set to pawn it properly."

Sasuke sighed, "You don't care that they see you that way?"

Arata shrugged "Should I?"

"Heh," the raven-haired boy huffed, "Guess not."

"Anyway," the redhead said, leaning in, "Think I should go for his wallet, or his watch?"

Sasuke stroked his chin, "The wallet. Tip him with his own money."

"Good form."

* * *

"Something wrong Naruto? You've barely touched your ramen," Iruka asked as he looked down at his student. He'd been looking forward to the boy coming back for some time, ready to listen to the blonde give an exaggerated play-by-play of his first combat mission. However, the child in front of him just seemed to poke at his food as he sat there in quiet thought.

"What?" the Genin said, "Oh, nothing Sensei."

The instructor had been worried about something like this. Seeing a fight for the first time had a different effect on all students. Iruka had hoped Kakashi would have been there to ease the children through the process, but apparently the boy was still troubled. The Chunin would be having a word with the copy nin if he was responsible.

Still, Naruto needed help first, "Come on. Something's got to be wrong if you can't even enjoy Ichiraku ramen." The blonde simply shrugged and kept prodding the noodles with his chopsticks. Iruka was getting more worried. If the boy had a problem, he was usually quite vocal about it, especially with his former instructor.

Taking a more gentle voice, the man offered, "Look Naruto, I know your first time in a fight can be rough. It stirs things up inside you never felt before. You have to understand that shinobi work through these things by talking to each other. I'm here, alright?"

Naruto looked at the man with confusion for a moment before he said, "What? It's not that sensei. I mean, the whole mess was weird but Kakashi-sensei helped us out the whole time."

"Then what is it?" Iruka asked, reevaluating the blonde.

Looking back down at his food, the Genin muttered, "Arata might have a family."

"What?" the instructor echoed his former student. He hadn't heard about this.

"When we were fighting this one guy," Naruto began, "I got knocked out and so did Sakura. Arata had to fight him alone."

"Was everyone okay?" Iruka pried, a bit of fear in his voice.

"Oh, yeah," the blonde answered, "Arata held him off until Kakashi sensei got there. But he did it with a weird jutsu. Kakashi said it was a Kekkei Genkai."

"Well," the Chunin said, nearly at a loss for words, "That's quite rare, but traits like that can become dominant when the user is under stress."

"That's what sensei said," the boy agreed, "He also said that when we got back, he'd use what he knew about the jutsu to help find out if Arata had a family."

"So you're worried about Arata?" Iruka asked, feeling rather proud of the boy he considered a younger brother.

"That's just it," Naruto said, shame permeating his voice, "I am worried, but not like that. That's the problem!"

The instructor scratched his head, "I'm afraid you lost me there Naruto."

The blonde still refused to make eye contact, "I heard about trying to find his family, and all I could think was… was that I hoped they didn't." Iruka looked at the boy, unable to form words. That was the last thing he'd expected to come out of the child's mouth.

Looking up, Naruto saw his teacher's look and it seemed to confirm something for him, "See sensei. I screwed up. I'm- I'm not a good person. How can I protect people if I can't even want to? Especially if they're my friend!"

Realizing his mistake, the instructor tried to correct it, "Look Naruto, thinking things like that doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you human."

The blonde gave his former instructor a blank stare as the man continued, "Well, if you could help Arata find his family, would you?"

"Of course I would!" the boy nearly shouted, "But the point is I feel like-"

"No," the teacher cut him off, "The point is you would."

Sighing at the boy's refusal to understand, Iruka said, "Do you remember back when you tried to graduate from the academy?"

"Yeah sensei," the boy answered, not sure where this was going, "It was only like two months ago."

"Alright," the Chunin agreed, "But what you don't know is what I was thinking at the time. I thought about failing you."

Frowning, the blonde interjected, "You did fail me Iruka sensei."

"Yeah," the man said, "But I failed you because you didn't pass. What you don't know is that I considered failing you even if you did"

"What? Why?!" the blonde demanded, a hurt look in his eyes.

"Relax," the instructor replied, "I only thought about it for a second."

"But why sensei?" the Genin persisted.

"Because I was worried Naruto," Iruka explained, "I don't want you to get hurt. Unfortunately, getting hurt is one of our job requirements. I considered, for a moment, that keeping you safe was more important than your own choices. But I didn't act on it. I still made you a Genin because I chose to put your hopes before mine, and it was the right thing to do."

"Oh," was all Naruto could say after a bit of thinking.

"Now," the Chunin added, "Am I a bad person?"

"Of course not," the blonde disagreed vehemently, "You did the right thing."

"And so will you," Iruka said. The point of the whole conversation finally dawned in the boy's eyes as his former teacher sighed inwardly at how long it had taken him.

"This is a first for you," the man said, "Having friends like your teammates. It's giving you a lot to think about. You want to help Arata but don't want him to leave if we find his family. I know you'll do the right thing Naruto, and I'm just happy people are starting to see you the way I do." The Genin took a long look at his food once again as the gears in his mind turned. He seemed to come to a decision and began to finally dig into his meal.

Six bowls later and he hopped from his stool, saying, "Thanks for dinner Iruka sensei. Thanks for talking to me and stuff too."

Iruka stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, "Before you go, I need to tell you something. If you're ever hanging out with Arata, and he tries to get you to do something, something you know isn't right, you won't let him pressure you right?" Iruka still hadn't gotten over his wariness of the redhead. He hoped for the best with the boy, but he had to be prepared for the worst, especially if Naruto was involved.

"Sensei!" the blonde argued, "He wouldn't do that!"

"I know," Iruka said, holding up his hands to pacify the boy, "I'm just being overprotective again." Shaking his head, the boy turned and went on his way, the proud eyes of his older brother following him.

* * *

Walking down the streets of Kanoha, not sure where she was going or why she was going there, Sakura was doing everything she could to keep the tears from coming again, and she was failing. Her frame began to shake as the first dry sobs hit her. She was sick of this, sick of feeling like her entire life wasn't fit for her parents. As a small child, she'd seen how they'd loved Uddo, been proud of him. She'd loved him too. Sakura could still remember being picked up by his big arms and being thrown into the air. She'd scream, giggle, and when he caught her, the girl would demand that he do it again.

When she had asked to join the academy, Sakura had thought she could bring her parents' smiles back, make them proud again. Sure, she'd hoped to be with Sasuke, but a part of her always imagined one day hearing the same praise they'd given her brother. It was an empty hope now, she supposed. Her father had just grown quiet at first, and her mother hadn't an opinion one way or the other. As time passed and it became clear that she intended to see her career through, the man had become more distant. He didn't joke with her any more, didn't give her as many smiles. Sometimes she wondered if he was just trying to forget she was there. Sakura's mother? She just had no faith in her at all. Everything was dangerous, every risk too much for her. She probably thought she was being loving when she embraced Sakura like she had, but all it told the young kunoichi was that she hadn't been expected to succeed. When it came to her father, the woman just bit her tongue and said nothing. It had been simple to just avoid mentioning the academy and her training at first, but now being a shinobi was becoming more and more of her life, and she didn't know if her parents wanted to be part of it.

Hot, frustrated tears began to curl down her cheeks as she tried to bring herself under control.

"Sakura?"

The kunoichi jumped and then flinched. She recognized the voice. Hastily wiping away the tears and trying to make herself presentable, Sakura turned to see Sasuke behind her.

"Oh, hello Sasuke-kun," the girl mustered, managing to keep her voice from cracking. The Uchiha looked at the girl. She'd obviously been crying. Normally, a female crying was nothing out of the ordinary. It was just something they did now and then as far as the boy was concerned. Still, something about the way she'd been shaking, like she had something else to shed a few tears over than the average waterworks that accompanied bad hair or being turned down for a date, made the Genin stop. He wasn't entirely sure why he cared either. The girl had been nothing but a nuisance to him, but still, she was his teammate now, right? Besides, this and his dinner with Arata should get Kakashi-sensei to shut up for a while about team unity.

"Something's bothering you," Sasuke stated blatantly, "What is it?"

Sakura loved the boy in front of her, but tact had never been his strong point, and right now, she really didn't need him to see her like this.

Turning and beginning to walk away, the girl called over her shoulder, "I'm fine Sasuke, don't worry about it."

The Uchiha followed her, maintaining his careful subtlety, "No you aren't. You were crying. Tell me why."

"I'm really okay," Sakura insisted, not looking at her teammate and speeding up, "Just… please go away. I need some air is all."

Sasuke was becoming frustrated. He was trying to help her, and he didn't have time for talking in circles. He'd asked her a direct question. Girls were supposed to like that. Why wouldn't she answer?

"Look," he tried again, "You're acting foolish. I'm just trying to help you. Why won't you-"

The kunoichi in front of him whirled around, shouting, "Because I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help!" Sasuke blanched and raised his arm. It looked as if his teammate was about to strike him like she so often did Naruto.

Sakura realized her position, and lowered her fist, her face going bright red, "S-sorry Sasuke-kun. I have a lot on my mind." The kunoichi folded her arms, rubbing her elbows as if to ward off a chill, and turned to begin walking again.

Sasuke knew he could leave it, go home and get some rest and let Sakura handle her own problems. She probably could too. He'd seen his pink-haired teammate handle herself. It'd be easier, simpler, and not take nearly as much trouble as following her would most likely cause. Cursing under his breath, he jogged to catch up to her.

"Alright," he offered, "I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk, that's fine. But if you do, that's fine too." The two walked in silence for a moment. The evening sky was a dark, muted blue against the light of the lampposts that ran along their path. A cool evening breeze pored over and past them, raising gooseflesh on their exposed skin.

Sasuke was about to give her some space when his companion spoke, "My dad thinks I shouldn't be a ninja."

"Why?" he asked in return, trying his best not to push her buttons again.

Sakura looked down as she drug her feet lightly against the ground with every step, small puffs of dirt following after each stroke, "He thinks I'm not strong enough, that I'm going to screw up." The tenderness of the subject finally hit the Uchiha. An old painful cord rang again as he remembered his own father.

"You seem strong enough to me," the boy tried, "You finished well in the academy and fought hard on the mission."

The kunoichi shook her head, choking a bit on the words, "He doesn't care. He's never cared. He still thinks I'm just a silly girl pretending at something for adults."

"What does his opinion matter anyway?" Sasuke said, a bit of annoyance in his voice, "If he's never tried to help you, then you helped yourself. You made yourself strong, so you know better than he does what you're like." It took a moment for the Genin to realize why he was angry. His own father had been like that, demanding and never approving. It had made him bitter years later to realize he'd only ever been seen as useful to his father as a counter to Itachi's strength. Who was Sakura's father to make her feel the same?

Sakura lifted her head a bit at the words. She wasn't used to hearing praise of any kind from Sasuke, "Thank you Sasuke-kun, but I just want him to be proud of me, to smile at me like he used to."

The raven-haired boy shrugged, "Then prove him wrong. Force him to see what you can do."

"I don't know if I could," the girl muttered.

"Do you want to stop being a shinobi?" Sasuke asked her.

"Of course not!" the girl said, a little hurt at the suggestion.

"Then I don't see you having another choice," the Uchiha pointed out, "Wake him up."

Sakura mulled over the words before asking her partner, "Do you think I can Sasuke?"

The boy looked into the kunoichi's pleading eyes. He'd have to choose the words carefully.

"I figure you'll make yourself as strong as you choose to," he eventually managed. The words seemed to work as Sakura finally lost most of her stooped posture, her eyes becoming less red.

The two stopped for a moment at an intersection, and Sasuke felt it. For a brief moment, Sakura laid her head against the boy's shoulder. It was a quick exchange of warmth between the two, the gooseflesh returning only for a moment to both of them, with no wind to blame it on. The fact that Sasuke didn't push her off meant the world to the girl.

Lifting her head, having only been there for a few seconds, Sakura began to walk away, "Thanks Sasuke-kun, I think I should head home. I'll see you at training tomorrow."

Sasuke mumbled a reply, and watched her go. He stood under the streetlight and scratched his head. That had been weird. At least he'd helped her out, though he wasn't entirely sure how. Dismissing the thoughts, he turned and made for home. He needed some sleep.

* * *

Rubbing his full stomach and soaking in the warm happiness that ramen always brought him, Naruto began to whistle as he walked home. He was halfway there, and more than happy to take his time on an evening like this. It was nice to be able to relax for the first time in weeks. No rogue nins, no bridges to guard, no trees to climb. This was perfect, and so would be his bed in a little while.

Those thoughts were suddenly shattered along with the bottle that landed at his feet. Naruto turned his attention to a pair of clearly inebriated men approaching him. One even needed the help of the other to stay standing. Not this crap again.

"Hey!" the stumbling one shouted, "Hey brat! Come here!"

"What do you want?" Naruto asked from a distance, knowing the answer full well. It was why he was doing the exact opposite of his antagonist's request.

"What do I want?" the man demanded, spilling a foul smelling liquid from the liquor bottle clenched in his hand, "I want you to come here and get what you deserve!"

Jeeze, this guy _must_ be drunk to be spouting lines like that. The blonde looked the men up and down. Civilians, nothing more. They hadn't been a threat to him in a long time. Still, he hated how they were looking at him, like so many did no matter what he tried. It stuck in his side, reminding him not to be too happy he was home. While the pair shouted expletives as they tried to make their way over to him, Naruto thought about it, really considered it. He could take them. He'd be justified in it too. Self defense. Heck, the Hokage had as much as told him that after the last attack, the old man taking particular umbrage when one of those arrested insisted there was no law against killing monsters.

Grinning to himself Naruto flickered a moment in the drunks' eyes before disappearing. A second later he was behind them, his arm lashing out. It took a moment for the fact that his bottle was gone to swim upstream against the alcohol into one of men's minds.

Squinting through double vision, the two saw Naruto appear in front of him, swinging the bottle by the neck from his hand, "I think you two have had enough." With a grunt of effort, the boy propelled himself to the rooftops, leaving the swearing drunks behind him. A block away, he stopped, shook his head, and threw the bottle away, chuckling to himself.

"Frisky drunks your village has."

Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin and turned to see Arata standing behind him. That guy was way too freaking quiet when he wanted to be.

"Don't do that man!" the blonde scolded his friend.

"Do what?" the redhead replied grinning, "That was pretty patient of you by the way."

"Oh, those guys?" Naruto said, "No big deal."

Arata cocked an eyebrow at his friend, "Any reason you put up with that?"

"What would you do?" the Genin answered, "Jump them?"

The blonde was surprised to see his companion nod, "I was about to when you pulled that stunt. Nice style on your part."

"Arata," Naruto snapped, "We can't just beat up everyone we have a problem with."

"You let people treat you like crap and they won't stop," the redhead argued, his face a little red at the lecture, "Besides, I wasn't going to hurt them, just, you know scare 'em so they'll leave you alone."

"Maybe I don't want to be left alone," Naruto replied, beginning to walk home, Arata following him, "I'm not winning people like them over by picking fights."

"By them you mean the whole village?" Arata asked.

Naruto flinched at the words before his teammate continued, "I know how to read a crowd Naruto, and most of the people here have it in for you. I don't get it."

The blonde looked down at his feet as he walked, "It's… complicated." Arata was having a hard time figuring his companion out. A lot of people seemed to hate him, for what the redhead had no idea, and Naruto didn't seem to object, or even take offense. It was like he expected it.

"Care to enlighten me?" the redhead prodded.

The Genin couldn't seem to look his teammate in the eye, "I can't. It's just…" Naruto couldn't tell him. Legally, he could. The law of silence didn't apply to the demon vessel himself. But what would Arata think? He was getting to be the best friend Naruto had ever had. He wouldn't risk that. Not yet. Maybe, later, if the redhead didn't hate him for lying anyway, he could tell him about the monster living inside him; the creature that put that hatred in the eyes of almost any adult that looked at him. The idea of seeing that same fear, that same distrust coming from the boy was just something he couldn't take right now.

"Something you don't feel like telling me about," Arata finished for him. Naruto was forced to look up at the words, expecting to see the redhead angry with him for not explaining, but all he saw was the boy staring forward as they leapt across rooftops.

"I'll ask you this," the former thief began, "Though I probably know the answer. Was it something you did?"

"No!" the blonde stammered, desperate to quash the thought.

Arata nodded and smiled, turning to his friend, "Then I don't care."

Naruto tripped at the words, tumbling along the roof of a bakery they'd been running across. He had good reason to. Most of the kids his age saw the way their parents treated him and assumed it was his fault. Arata had just sided with him over an entire population.

Offering his teammate a hand up, the redhead explained, "Ha! Naruto, I used to steal for a living. I'm no moral barometer. If you say you didn't do anything wrong, I'll buy it. You don't seem the type to have done something anyway." The Uzumachi stared at the boy.

"Still," the nimble fingered redhead said, "I don't see why you're trying to win them over."

"I think I can convince them, get them on my side," the blonde explained.

"But why do you want them on your side?" Arata pushed, "I wouldn't give a crap."

Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to sum up the words Iruka had told him so many times, "We're here to protect these people."

"I'll protect them," the redhead replied, "but I don't have to like them."

"You really don't care do you?" the blonde looked at his friend, a bit surprised at the attitude.

"I've preferred to keep my head low most of my life," Arata shrugged, "I never really needed a good image. If people don't want me around, then I don't need them. I can get by."

The orange clad Genin fidgeted as he tried not to react to the words the wrong way. Arata never liked being pitied or anything. Even he had figured that out.

"It's not about getting by man," the boy tried to sound like his former sensei, "I could get around a lot of headaches by just not trying. But I want to do more than that."

Naruto stuffed his hands in his jacket and stared at the moon, "I want to be the Hokage, the protector of the entire village. How can I keep people safe if they don't trust me? I know some of them are jerks, but the rest, I don't know, got some bad information about me. They're just doing what they think is right. I want to show them they're wrong, and if I have to take the first step, fine. Someone has to."

Arata looked up, as if to find whatever his teammate was staring at.

Mulling over what he'd heard, the redhead came to a conclusion, "You know. I could follow a guy like that."

"Heh," the blonde gave a wide grin, "You could be one man. A Hokage needs a second in command right?"

"Assuming you don't work for me," Arata shot back.

"As if!" Naruto shouted.

The two shared a laugh that was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a series of cacophonous crashes.

The pair exchanged a worried glance before Naruto said, "Well, duty calls." Charging towards the sound of the action, the Genin leapt from the rooftop.

* * *

Arriving at the surreal scene, Naruto and Arata surveyed the anarchy. Catching their attention quickly, the two saw a green clad man shouting for all he was worth as he appeared to somehow be holding back three ANBU guards at once.

"I can't let you harm my student!" he cried, "He's only caught up in an overabundance of un-youthly vigor!"

"Guy-san!" one of the ANBU shouted over the noise, a female sporting a long, purple length of hair, "We're not going to hurt him, but we need to subdue him before he hurts anyone else! He's going to hurt himself if he keeps this up!"

Naruto looked from the confrontation to a long-haired boy leaning against a wall, a brunette with a pair of buns fretting over the black eye he was nursing. Another man ran from person to person desperately demanding to know who would pay for damages. At the center of the chaos was what might have once been a bar had the windows been intact, or the door still in one piece, or some of the supporting wall not collapsed. So maybe it was just a wreckage. A wreckage with strange slurred shouting coming from within.

"Is that Neji?" Arata asked.

"Who?" was Naruto's reply, following his teammate as the redhead approached the other pair of Genin.

The boy in question rolled his good eye, the other covered by the ice pack being pressed against it by the girl, "Great, now my night is perfect."

"What's going on?" Naruto asked.

Not looking up, the girl answered, "Nothing. No attack, just a misunderstanding. Move along while the shinobi handle this."

"Hey, we are ninjas!" the blonde complained.

"The term has become so relative these days hasn't it TenTen?" the Hyuga complained.

Finally turning around, the kunoichi saw the headbands and apologized, "Sorry, it just became a long night."

"It's fine," Naruto let it go, "But what's going on?"

"Where's Lee?" Arata asked.

The other three looked at him and he added, "Everyone else is here. Where's the guy who looked like your sensei's clone?"

Recognition dawned in TenTen's eyes before she pointed at the redhead, "You! You stole Neji-kun's wallet! And you tricked me!"

Taking a step back, the boy held up his hands, "Let's not change subjects here. And come on, he did a good thing there. Charity should be rewarded."

"That's not funny!" the girl shouted back as her teammate glared at the redhead, "You need to pay him back right now!"

Arata was beginning to wonder if he could outrun the girl who had apparently taken personal offense over the matter when Naruto put himself in between them, "Calm down. This isn't the time. Look, where's your friend?"

TenTen crossed her arms as Neji took over with the ice pack, "He's in there." Naruto and Arata looked to the ruined building as another table was propelled through the doorway, an ANBU having to divert the projectile from the small crowd of onlookers.

"He had too much to drink," Neji snorted.

"Your teammate drinks?" Naruto asked, confusion furrowing his brow.

"Not on purpose," TenTen sighed, "He took a swig of Guy-sensei's Sake by mistake, and he went nuts. He just started swinging and fighting and here we are. He got Neji-kun and then the ANBU showed up and Guy-sensei won't let anyone touch him."

"He got lucky," the Hyuga grumbled, adjusting the ice pack.

"Wait," the blonde said, "You're telling me this Lee guy did all this?" The remaining members of Team Guy nodded.

"Suiken?" Arata broke in.

"Guy-sensei shouted something about that," TenTen replied, her eyes perking up, "What is it?" All the redhead could muster as an answer was a stream of laughter.

"He's- He's," the former thief guffawed, "He's a drunken artist! A natural at least! This is so awesome."

"No it's not," TenTen fumed, "What are we supposed to do?"

"Pull up a chair?" the redhead suggested, "I haven't seen a real Suiken student go at it in a long time. Best show in the world."

"This isn't a joke!" the kunoichi shouted, "Don't you care at all?"

"Forget it TenTen," Neji spat, "He's street trash. Of course he doesn't care."

"Hey!" Naruto snapped, raising a fist, "You can't talk about my friend that way!"

Arata had stopped laughing, trying to calm down, but TenTen was still angry.

Grabbing the redhead by the collar, the girl spat, "You know what? All Lee could talk about for days after he met you was how you'd turn yourself around. It was all about how Kanoha was great because it gave 'good people' like you a chance to do better. I guess he was wrong about you though wasn't he?" TenTen shoved Arata back, still glaring at him. The redhead straitened at the words, forming his own glare as he saw the smirk growing on the Hyuga's face.

"Ah hell," the boy sighed before shouldering past TenTen and starting towards the bar, "It woulda been fun to watch too."

"Where's he going?" the brunette demanded.

"You got me," Naruto replied as he hurried after him.

As he strode forward, Arata spotted a gleam among a shattered liquor cabinet. Stepping over, her pulled the door open before reaching inside and withdrawing a crystal bottle of clear liquid and two glasses, the only items left unbroken.

The redhead smirked before the owner hurried over, "No, no, no, what are you doing? Do you know how expensive that is?!"

"More expensive than rebuilding the entire place rather than repairing it?" the child shot back, "Look, give me the bottle and I'll take care of this."

Glaring at the boy, the bartender eventually threw up his hands and shouted, "Whatever, might as well lose everything tonight!"

Arata started towards the entrance again as Naruto caught up with him, "What are you doing man?"

"Helping Lee not hurt himself," the redhead replied, "now keep a distance. He needs to focus on me."

As the blonde held back, an ANBU, the female from before, now barred the former thief's way, "You can't go in there. Just let us handle things."

"Yeah, great job so far," Arata replied, feeling the woman's attempt to set him on fire with her eyes, "Relax, I can talk him down, okay?"

"With that?" the Kunoichi asked, motioning to the bottle.

"It helps the process," the boy grinned.

The woman stared down at the child for a moment before shrugging, "It's your ass if you get hurt."

Arata slipped past the woman and finally made it to the door, well, doorframe of the establishment.

The boy rapped his fingers against the side of the frame, "Lee? You in there?"

A rustling was heard as a form stepped forward from the shadows, the lights having been destroyed long ago.

Stepping into the moonlight, Arata saw Lee stagger towards him, his cheeks beet red, "Oh, ish you! I know you!"

"You do?" Arata asked, a bit incredulous.

"Yeah," the boy said, trying to form a scowl and finding his face uncooperative, "You're…You're…You're a challenger! You want to tesht my youfe in front of Guy-senshei!"

Trying to keep the smirk off his face and ignoring the stares from everyone behind him, the former thief replied, "Yep, that's right. I'm here to challenge you to a match."

"No you idiot!" TenTen shouted, "He'll take you apart."

"TenTen-chan ish right!" the taijutsu specialist slurred, "I can *Hic* I could *Hic* You don't stand a chance." Staggering back a foot before overcorrecting and tripping forward a few paces, the Genin righted himself and took a strange, listing fighting stance.

"Still," he managed through the alcohol in his system, "I never refuse a challenge."

Arata immediately held up his hands, the glasses clinking, "Whoa, whoa, I said I wanted to challenge you to a match, I never said I wanted to fight."

Lee's eyes tried to focus as he asked, "Wha?"

The redhead grinned and held out the bottle, "A warrior needs to test his body as much as his skill right? I'm challenging you to a drinking contest."

"Guy-senshei says only adults drink that shtuff," the Genin said.

"Now you can prove you're an adult right?" Arata pushed, "And make your sensei proud."

"You're only going to make this worse!" TenTen called again before turning to Naruto, "You're his friend, talk some sense into him!"

The blonde only rolled his eyes, "Good luck with that."

Lee looked the redhead up and down as his brain tried to process the idea.

"That'sh…That'sh," the inebriated boy tried to reply, "That'sh a great idea! I'm going to beat you in thish and then beat you to a pulp!"

Hoping he had an honest smile on his face, Arata opened the bottle and poured each of them a glass.

Handing Lee his, the redhead held up the allotment of liquor as if to toast, "First round. Bottoms up!" Throwing his head back, Arata downed the entire glass in a gulp, giving a satisfied smack as he finished. Lee gave his opponent a scrutinizing glance before mimicking him.

Sputtering a bit, choking and having to stop after a fourth of the glass, the Genin slurred, "That'sh terrible. Who drinksh dish stu-" The taijutsu specialist never finished the sentence as he collapsed backwards, coming to rest snoring on the ground.

Arata surveyed his handy work as he poured himself another glass, "Pfff. Lightweight." Naruto ran up to his friend as Guy picked his student up, weeping at the state he was in.

"Wow," the blonde said, smacking his teammate on the back, "What was that stuff? Did you put knock out pills in his or something?"

The redhead gave his friend a dirty look for spilling some of his glass before the bartender answered, "No. It was premium vodka from Tea Country, some of the most alcoholic and expensive liquor in the world."

"It's called 'The Rich Man's Mouthwash' where I heard about it," the former thief shrugged.

"I was saving that for a special occasion," the man whined, a tear forming in his eye.

"Well, doesn't get much more special than this," the boy grinned, raising the glass again. His arm was stopped as a hand shot from nowhere to take it in a vice-like grip.

"I think that's enough," the female ANBU corrected him, her glare evident even through the mask, "I need you to come with me where we can file a report and schedule a date for addressing your punishment for underage drinking."

"I don't think that will be necessary," a calm voice cut in, "After all, the act was in the pursuit of aiding a fellow shinobi of the leaf." All present turned to see Kakashi standing behind them.

"Considering it's effectiveness as a non violent method, I like to think we can let this slide," the copy nin smiled with his eye, "Why don't you take the night off with Hayate?"

The ANBU growled, "Idiot, I'm under the mask now. Keep my personal information a secret!"

"Right, sorry," Kakashi waved the matter off, "Hey Naruto, I need to borrow Arata from you. The council finally found him a place to live." Both of the Genin seemed shocked at the idea.

Naruto's eyes went downcast for a moment before he livened up again, pushing Arata forward, "Well go on man. The place is waiting for you. I can't put up with your freeloading forever, right?"

The redhead gave his friend an appraising look, hesitating a moment.

"Wait," a voice called. TenTen hurried over to the group, dragging an uncooperative Neji behind her.

Her face a bit red, she stuttered for a moment before holding out her hand, "Um… Thanks. I shouldn't have doubted you like that. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Arata replied, clearly out of sorts, "It's okay I guess, no harm done." The boy took the girl's hand and the two's eyes met for a moment before breaking contact.

"Touching," Kakashi noted, watching the pair's faces go crimson, "But we need to get moving."

TenTen poked her teammate hard in the ribs before he glared at Arata, "Good work. You managed to keep the fool from killing himself. I guess you have some kind of worth after all, whatever that kind is."

Arata called goodnight to Naruto and walked away from the group with his instructor before taking to the rooftops.

Watching them go, TenTen smiled, "I guess Lee was right Neji-kun. People can change."

Patting his pocket and looking none too surprised, the Hyuga sighed, "I guess this a bad time to tell you my wallet's gone again."

* * *

The sound of the clicking tumblers in the lock echoed in the barren apartment with no softness to absorb the noise. Stepping inside, Kakashi led Arata into the main room.

"This is it," the copy nin announced, "I know it isn't much, but once you personalize the place, I'm sure you'll feel at home." Kakashi turned to see his pupil a bit wide eyes at his surroundings.

"It's bigger than anywhere I've ever stayed, at least with the tenants knowing it," Arata pointed out, "So, you people are just giving this to me?"

"Until you're of legal age, yes," answered the Jonin, "Naruto has the same set up. You'll be close to his place by the way. We figured it would help you get used to the neighborhood."

"Why?" the redhead asked.

"Because you get along with him and having the familiar face should help-"  
"No," the Genin broke in, "Why this? Why all of it?" Kakashi sighed. The boy still refused to believe any of it.

"Arata," the copy nin began, "I could tell you we're just that kind of people, but I doubt you'd take our word for it. So let me ask you this: do Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke trust you? When we fight, are they looking over their shoulders to see if you're still there?"

The redhead shrugged, "Yeah they trust me, they know I'll back them up."

"Because they have faith in you," Kakashi added, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder, "The fact that they're alive pretty much validates it. So, what we're asking is for you to have faith in us. This village might not be perfect, but we were founded by men who believed in the greater aspects of people. I don't know why you don't trust us, or maybe anyone. It's your place and choice to tell us that. The Hokage, your teammates, me, we do trust you, and think you deserve this chance. Just don't throw it away by not having faith in us. It could cost you and a lot of people everything." It was a harsh truth, but one the kid needed to learn. He couldn't just cut himself off. There would come times when Arata needed to know how and who to trust, and Kakashi couldn't waste any more time trying to ease the boy into the mindset, not with the challenges the team would be facing soon. The instructor had to think about the safety of all of them, not just one student's emotional issues, no matter how deep.

Arata's features couldn't seem to make up their mind, torn between confusion and something else the boy was trying hard to hide. The redhead pulled his jacket tighter, as if against some invisible draft, before he looked down.

His voice could eventually be heard from beneath his hood, "If I do that, promise you aren't lying."

"Arata, why would we-" Kakashi began, but was cut off.

"Please," came a weak reply, "Just promise. Don't… please don't be lying to me."

"What happened to you?" the copy nin thought.

"Alright, I promise," Kakashi said, "But it's not worth anything if you don't trust us."

The boy eased himself from beneath his instructor's hand, "Fine then. I'll try not to take this all so seriously I guess."

"Because you've always been so strait laced," the teacher pointed out. Turning away, careful to hide his face, the boy laughed.

His head swinging from side to side, the child surveyed his new home, "Yeah, mostly concrete. What's the insurance like on a place like this? Does it cover fire?"

"Why do you ask?" Kakashi replied, getting a bit nervous at the question.

"Well, I finally have time to really work with that chemical set," Arata answered, the Jonin could just feel the grin on the child's face, "I can't wait." The copy nin barely suppressed a groan. Whatever was coming, he just knew it was going to be blamed on him. Why was his ankle hurting again?

"Well, please remember a replacement apartment might not be in the council budget," the Jonin warned before heading towards the door, "Your things are in the closet, along with fresh linens. Contact Iruka-san if you have any problems."

Arata nodded, and Kakashi was about to leave when he heard, "Hey, any progress on that bloodline I used by mistake? You know, about where it came from?" The copy nin froze. He had almost been away too.

Turning back to the boy, the instructor answered, "Uh, no. Not yet. We've only been back a day after all."

The redhead turned to his sensei and smiled, "It's fine, no hurry. I'm not going anywhere right?" The Jonin forced a smile back before stepping out the door. There went any self-satisfaction with the evening. Kakashi wondered if there was another bar open in the area.

Standing in the darkened apartment, Arata looked out the window, as if it led somewhere else entirely.

_Never trust a free meal. Everything has strings attached. You don't want strings? Cut 'em and run with what you got. Never trust someone not to yank those strings the moment they get attached to you._

To no one, the boy spoke softly, "Please be wrong this time. Just one time you stupid old man, be wrong." Sighing, the boy gave up trying to find whatever it was that he was looking for in the night sky.

Turning on the lights, Arata gave a genuine smile, "Guess I should unpack. I'm home right?"

* * *

Well, another chapter. I worked on it while rewriting the previous two. It feels a little schizophrenic, but I enjoyed writing a number of the scenes, particularly the bar incident. Anyway, about relationships of the romantic variety, nothing is concrete, but I do want something between Sakura and Sasuke as it felt like the Uchiha did regret leaving her somewhat in the end. It may survive, it may go down in flames. I'll admit I'm a fan of the Naru/Hina route, so that's an option but again not guaranteed. I haven't much of a clue with whom or if when it comes to Arata (though it'd be fun to hear who you think suits him or any of the characters). Romance won't be the focus of the story, but how can a number of preteens of both genders avoid it?:)

Reviews please & thank you.


	15. To Catch a Thief

To Catch a Thief

"To sum it up," Asuma stated, waving his hand in the air, the cigarette perched between his fingers leaving a trail of smoke in its wake, "they each have potential, especially as an infiltration team. If I can just get Choji to quit being selfish, Shikamaru to wake up, and keep Ino from strangling the both of them, we might just get there."

"Ahem," the Hokage cleared his throat, "I'm just going to have Iruka record your team as talented but lacking in unity."

"That's what I said pops," the massive Jonin corrected. Sarutobi glared down his pipe at his son, the instructor's grin showing he had no intention of putting a halt to the casual name. Rolling his eyes, the old man decided to move on. The other instructor Jonin of the village ringed the table, each waiting for their turn to give progress reports on their students. It was standard practice that after each team had had enough time to see light combat, their leaders would give their opinions on the capabilities of each Genin and the squad as a whole. Iruka was on retainer for helping organize the data, while a few advisors on other matters were there to listen in and give their own opinions.

"Why don't we discuss Team Seven next?" the Sandaime suggested, all eyes turning to the silver-haired Jonin who currently had his head buried in a worn book covered in warnings against small children ever being near it.

"Kakashi?" Sarutobi prompted, his brow twitching.

Raising his apathetic gaze above the page, the Jonin said, "My apologies Hokage-sama, but could you come back to me? Ichi's finally confessed her love to Gemna, and considering they're in her father's bedroom, I'd really like to see where this is going." The man's question was answered for him when a shuriken impacted with the book, pinning it to the wall just behind his head.

"If you could separate yourself from that filth for a moment Hatake, I think we would all like to leave here in a timely fashion," the comment came from a woman across from Kakashi, the attacker that had just maimed his precious novel.

"That was a first edition Kurenai-san," the copy nin whined, looking heart-broken, "Asuma, get her to buy me a new one." As the red-eyed woman seethed, the other Jonin nearly fell backwards in his chair as he tried to stop choking on his own smoke.

"Enough!" the Hokage broke in, his stare keeping the Kunoichi from drawing another weapon, "Hatake-san, you will give a report, and you will refrain from such reading material during meetings in the future." The Sandaime knew the Jonin would do no such thing of course.

Leaning back in his chair as if nothing had just happened, the Jonin began, "Well, first I suppose is Sakura Haruno. Her strengths lie largely in tactics. The others on the team comprehend tricks and counters, but the girl has a mind for the large scale. She could be quite skilled in focusing the team's efforts as a tactical advisor given she builds the confidence necessary. In terms of combat, she's drilled the academy styles and tactics into herself like reflex, but nothing exotic. Surprisingly, her pure physical strength surpasses anyone else on the team."

"You wouldn't be surprised if you'd known her brother," Azuma commented, "The boy was a powerhouse. Damn shame."

Kakashi nodded before continuing, "I'd like to push her towards something she could focus her mind on, maybe tactical or medical specialization."

"And what of Sasuke?" another Jonin asked. The copy nin looked around, noting the new interest most in the room were showing. Almost everyone wanted to know what the last of the Uchiha could do.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the silver-haired man said slowly, stretching out the moment for his own pride, "Well, he's his namesake. He excels in combat first and foremost. I'd say one on one he could take most any Genin out there. He favors the aggressive styles and jutsus of his family, calling upon their inherently deep chakra reserves to keep the pressure on and keep his opponent from mounting an offense that could take advantage of his lack of defensive measures. He's fast, strong, and reliable."

"An Uchiha that's perfect," Kurenai huffed, apparently having yet to forgive the copy nin, "Never heard that line before."

"He's not perfect," Kakashi corrected her, "His biggest issue is in team mechanics. A pity too. The boy would have real potential as a leader if he didn't always go into it on his own. He just doesn't think others can keep up with him. It's going to get someone hurt too if I can't shake him out of it. I have to push him the most in teaching him to work with his teammates rather than assuming he can handle anything by himself. He's good, but not that good, and the fact that he doesn't know that makes him easy to manipulate."

"Any opinion on Naruto?" Iruka's soft voice cut through the many small discussions that had cropped up about the raven-haired genius. The group's attention again turned to Kakashi, but for different reasons. Many in the room regarded the next words with caution, while others had small sneers on their faces at the mention of the boy. The Jonin met the glares and stared them down.

He wasn't about to have one of his students looked down on by strangers that didn't even know him, "Naruto has been one of the biggest surprises. I'd say if anyone were a threat to Sasuke come the Chunin tournaments, Naruto would be one of the top contenders."

"You're joking," Kurenai interrupted. She'd never had anything against the boy, but the blonde was the last person she'd expected Kakashi to praise.

"No, I'm not," the copy nin confirmed, "He's better than most think. When he puts his mind to matters, he learns at an astonishing rate. He has chakra reserves that would shame some Chunin, even outpacing Sasuke, and stamina out the ears. Tactically, he lacks Sakura's mind or Sasuke's skills, but his abilities with large scale Shadow Clones are quite impressive."

"Isn't wide use of solid Shadow Clones something Jonin master?" Asuma asked.

"Exactly," Kakashi grinned, noting with carefully masked glee the disappointed faces of many in the room, "and he already uses advanced misdirection with them. The sheer number of the clones makes up for his abysmal Taijutsu, but if he ever improves there, he'd only be multiplying his effectiveness overall. Add to that the effect he has on the team."

"What effect is that Hatake?" Sarutobi broke in. The old man was doing everything he could to keep an even face, but it was difficult. He'd been waiting years to rub the boy's determination in the faces of everyone that had doubted him, and this was one step closer. He could only imagine the celebrations going on in the mind of Iruka right now.

"He breaks the ice," the Jonin answered, "He has a galvanizing effect. The boy never hesitates in a challenge and in doing so encourages those around him. If I can keep his pride under control and balance out his rivalry with Sasuke, I'd be tempted to suggest him for leadership as much as anyone else on the team. Still, he needs heavy training in the basics and a great deal more control of his emotions."

"I believe I could go next Hokage-sama," commented a Jonin sitting next to Kakashi.

"No," the old man corrected, "We still have to discuss the fourth Genin of Team Seven. Hatake, your thoughts on Arata?"

"Ah yes," Kurenai broke in, a triumphant grin crossing her features, "Do tell Kakashi, what exploits can we expect from the infamous Arata 'X' today?" Iruka rubbed his temples. The boy was gaining quite a reputation in the village, and not a good one. Add to that his name, which the academy students whispered and giggled like a code word, and he was quickly beginning to mirror Naruto in the number of parents that shook their heads at the matter. Arata "X". Trust the inner bureaucracy of the village to find new and exciting ways to fail Iruka each day. When the instructor had scrawled the large X in the box for surnames due to the boy not having one(*1), he hadn't expected some incompetent twit to actually record it as his last name. Now the child's one letter name had made the rounds as a joke amongst much of the village, the actual recipient not seeming to care anyway. It didn't help that the Nobends were actively trying to make the boy's name mud or that no one had apparently told Arata to stop being a thief when he changed careers if the complaints from one Neji Hyuga and an irate waiter were anything to go by.

"Well," the Genjutsu mistress continued, savoring the uncomfortable look on Kakashi's face, "Has he been caught drinking again? How about breaking and entering? I hear he's considering arson." Iruka's headache wasn't going anywhere soon. There had never been any proof of the matter, but a number of strange explosions had been reported all over the city. They were clearly by design, as no one had been injured and no property significantly harmed, so many wanted to label them as pranks from Naruto. But considering a number of dumpsters had been rather forcefully emptied in the Nobend compound, Arata's name had started to come up. ANBU had investigated, but most had been hesitant to go near the putrid "crime scenes".

"Well, as far as I know, he at least hasn't been drinking," Yugao chimed in, happy to rub a bit of salt into the copy nin's wounds, "But the rest is still up in the air." The woman was only there to act as an observer and add her own advice, but the chance to put this certain Jonin in his place wasn't one she would pass up lightly.

"Still sore about him doing your job Uzuki-san?" the former ANBU captain asked, watching the woman flinch at the words and give him a smoldering look.

Turning back to Kurenai, Kakashi stared his original adversary down before calmly countering by pulling another copy of the same book from his satchel and reading as he answered, "Arata has made a remarkable amount out of what life has given him. He learns nearly as fast as Naruto, and his lack of a formal education hasn't hampered his ability to comprehend anything I teach him. Infiltration is easily his expertise. His stealth is second to none compared to any Genin and many Chunin I've seen. I've had to find extra work for him to do when it came time to teach lock-picking techniques. It was hard to argue when he took his practice lock apart and put it back together in the time it took Naruto to remove the packaging."

"Well, that's impressive, but Naruto might not be the best comparison," Asuma started to argue.

"Blindfolded," the copy nin added, "I didn't even ask him to do that. He doesn't use the key we gave him to his apartment. I think he threw it away."

"Well, as much as we applaud his abilities to take that which isn't his," Kurenai interrupted, "How are his other skills as a shinobi?" Sarutobi puffed quietly on his pipe, loosing patience with the situation. The Hokage was beginning to wonder why he was even there.

"As far as combat," Kakashi spoke, "he favors delay tactics until he can exploit a flaw in his opponent. It can be very difficult to break his defenses when he sets himself to it, and getting him to stand still is hard enough. He's probably the fastest one on the team save Sasuke, but…"

"But?" Sarutobi asked, taking a chance to reenter the conversation.

"But," the Jonin continued, shooting a slight glare at the Sandaime, "He's hit a bit of a wall. What chakra he has, he controls well, better than most, but his reserves are weak compared to others his age. The training is unlocking and strengthening the chakra wells in each of them, but the rest of the team is progressing at a faster pace. He needs to catch up in one way or another if he wants to qualify for the Chunin exams. Arata usually compensates with jutsu and tactics that don't require much chakra, and I suspect he'd be quite talented in Kenjutsu(*2), should he be involved in actual combat."

"Kenjutsu?" Azuma prodded, "What weapon does he train with?"

"Combat dagger," the copy nin replied, "The one he has is like an extra limb when I can get him to use it, but that's against targets and dummies. It's difficult to gauge because he avoids sparring with it. Arata hesitates, so I haven't seen what he can really do. The problem is it's harder to not kill with something like that than it is with your hands." Many of the other instructors nodded. Each knew how hard it was to get their Genin comfortable with the idea of taking a life, or as comfortable as anyone could be.

"Still," Kakashi sighed, "He's falling behind, and he knows it. It's frustrating him." Kurenai held her tongue. She was mad at Kakashi, not the boy. Training Hinata had taught her how frustrating it can be to watch a student you care about struggle, especially one with so much potential. Still, she hoped the man showed the judgment to hold the child back if needed. She was curious about whatever was happening between Kakashi and the Hokage though. The copy nin was subtle, but Kurenai could see he was mad about something.

"The team is combat material in the long run," the Jonin summed up, "but flexible enough to be taken in any direction."

"Right," the Sandaime agreed as Iruka recorded the information, "Moving along to you Kurenai…"

***

"Could you see to it that the files are late getting to my desk for approval Iruka?" the Sandaime asked as he opened the door to his office, "I have other work that needs immediate attention."

"Would you like one or two hours to nap sir?" the instructor sighed as he walked away.

Sarutobi grimaced at the words before begrudgingly answering, "Two."

Closing the doors behind him, the old man collapsed into his seat but had little time to relax when he heard a soft knock at the door.

"Come in," he called.

The doors eased open as a woman gracefully slipped into the room, "You asked to speak with me Hokage-sama?"

"Ah yes," the Sandaime replied, "Have a seat Kurenai-san. We have a matter to discuss. It concerns your team's next mission."

The kunoichi stiffened at the words, worry crossing her face, "I'm afraid we are unable to take any missions right now sir."

"So I've heard," Sarutobi nodded, "but this is a bit of an emergency, and I think I've found a solution we can all agree on."

"All sir?" the woman echoed. The Sandaime made to answer, but was cut off as another, sharper knock was heard.

"The door's unlocked Hatake-san," the old man announced.

Kakashi sauntered into the room, not even looking where he was going, too enthralled in his own reading material, "I got a message saying to meet you here." Kurenai gave the man a dirty look, clearly having not forgotten his behavior earlier.

"Yes, I do believe the three of us have something to discuss," Sarutobi smiled, ignoring the atmosphere and pushing forward.

Handing Kurenai an envelope, the Sandaime said, "Your next mission involves tracking a string of burglaries taking place in southern Fire Country. An old friend of mine has asked that Kanoha personally step in. Your team consists of a Hyuga, an Inuzuka, and an Aburame. I can scarcely think of a unit better suited for the job."

"But sir," the Genjutsu mistress broke in, "That's what I've been trying to tell you. Kiba is incapacitated."

"How so?" Kakashi asked.

"The flu," Kurenai replied, her face growing a bit red, "His sister is seeing to him as we speak."

The copy nin looked up from his reading, his brow lifting at the words, "Isn't his sister-"

"A veterinarian," the kunoichi finished, looking a bit sympathetic for her student, "Yes, I know. But his mother says if it's good enough for their dogs, it's good enough for the clan." The men present shuddered at the thought.

"Still," the Hokage spoke, getting the pair's attention, "I already know of the boy's unfortunate circumstances. It's why I've made sure to supply an ample replacement." Sarutobi nodded in Kakashi's direction.

"One of my students?" the copy nin asked, "which one?"

The old man smiled at his own genius, "Well, considering you made note in your recent report of the child's accelerated sense of smell, and considering his past, well, affiliations, I should think Arata would be a prime choice."

Kurenai disagreed, "I don't think that's a good idea sir. My team's chemistry is fragile. I don't know if it's a good idea to mix it up with a child that… abrasive."

"Are you saying there's something wrong with one of my students Yui-san?" Kakashi asked, eyeing the woman.

"Of course not," the woman replied, her voice dripping in sarcasm, "The legal system says there's something wrong with him."

"Well maybe _my_ student isn't ready to deal with _your_ team yet," the Jonin countered rather weakly, "Have you gotten the Aburame to talk yet?"

Kurenai growled at the words, but Sarutobi cut her off, "That's enough from the both of you. The placement is going to happen whether the two of you can act like adults or not. Kurenai, I hope you can give the child a chance and be civil towards him."

"As long as he can mange the same," the kunoichi huffed, "But if he goes anywhere near my students' property-"

"Any more objections from you Hatake?" the Sandaime asked, ignoring her.

The copy nin shifted in his seat, suddenly seeming off balance, "Well, I'm still not sure that it's a good idea."

"I would think getting him to socialize with more children his age would be a good thing," Sarutobi offered, confused at the man's uncooperative nature.

"Well, it's just," the Jonin mumbled, "He serves such an integral role on the team."

"But your team already has four Genin. It should be able to survive a week or two without him," the Hokage pushed.

"Yes, true," Kakashi agreed, clearly reaching for another reason to argue, "well, I still think he should-"

"Hatake," Sarutobi warned the man.

"But," the Jonin stuttered, looking heartbroken, "But he can cook!" The room went silent as the other two stared at him.

Kurenai was the first to speak, "You-You asshole!"(*3)

Sarutobi was shocked to hear the normally calm and logical woman explode like that, but the kunoichi didn't seem to notice as she continued, "You know the rules! If any Genin has talent like that, the supervising Jonin is obligated to tell the other instructors!" The anger was perhaps justified. Due to most shinobi's careers, few ever became little more than serviceable when it came to the culinary arts. It was a rare thing for any ninja to be a talented chef, especially with field rations. It was why any Genin that showed talent in the area was a hotly sought after prize among the instructor Jonin, many times having a much better chance of being requested for extra "back up" by another team. The practice might seem strange to outsiders, but seasoned Shinobi would be quick to note that moral was integral to any mission and few things raised spirits better than a warm meal. Therefore, it was an unspoken law amongst teachers that any instructor with a student talented in the kitchen was required to tell the others on the assurance that they would do the same, spreading the skills around as much as possible. To break it was a social taboo to say the least.

"Now now Kurenai-san," the Sandaime said, attempting to calm the situation, "I'm sure the boy isn't talented enough to warrant that kind of language."

Looking back to the suddenly quiet copy nin, Sarutobi noticed him avoiding his eyes, "Kakashi?"

"Well… maybe," the Jonin admitted.

The Hokage's mouth hung open for a bit before he gathered himself, "I am very disappointed in you Hatake." Kakashi hung his head with an uncanny resemblance to a child being shamed by his elder.

"I'll let the two of you hammer out the details later," the old man sighed, "You leave early tomorrow Kurenai-san. I suggest you meet the boy before beginning the mission, maybe introduce him to the rest of your team if you can. The trip should only take a day or two at which point you will connect with local authorities and take their orders from there. Am I understood?"

The pair nodded as the Genjutsu mistress continued to stare daggers at Kakashi. As the two left, Sarutobi sank deeper into his seat. And he had been hoping the Genin were the only children he had to worry about right now.

With a crackling voice, the Hokage's assistant called over the intercom, "Sir?"

His back complaining as he leaned forward, the Sandaime held the button down to answer, "Yes?"

"There are a number of reports here for your approval," the man informed his superior, "Umino-san said you insisted upon their completion as soon as possible." Oh, Iruka would pay for that.

***

"I love Fridays," Naruto grinned as he strode with purpose towards Arata's new apartment.

"That's because you get to choose where we eat lunch on Fridays," Sasuke sighed.

"And it's always the same stupid place," Sakura finished for the Uchiha.

"Hey," Naruto growled, shooting the both of them a look, "Ichiraku's is never to be questioned around me!"

"_He's actually serious,"_ the kunoichi realized with a nervous, placating smile, _"No wonder they love him there."_

As the group climbed the stairs, still bickering over lunch, they found their teammate's door. Without hesitation, the blonde pounded his fist enthusiastically to get the inhabitant's attention. The apartment was silent for a second before a low thump was heard, the ground softly shaking beneath their feet and the windows to the boy's home lighting with what looked like a camera flash as they rattled in their frames.

The door was pulled back before a cloud of smoke billowed out and into the air. Arata emerged from the foggy apartment, coughing and hacking, and nearly stumbled into his teammates. His face was streaked with soot.

Sakura fretted over the boy, "Arata? Are you okay? What happened?"

"Yeah man, what's going on?" Naruto asked. His teammate only slowed his coughing, holding up a hand to silence the questions until he could breathe again. To answer the both of them, the redhead raised his foot before bringing it down swiftly, and painfully, on top of the toes of the blonde.

"You knock too loud!" the boy growled as Naruto gave a hopping dance, howling at the pain.

Sakura put her palm to her forehead, dropping any concern as she realized what had happened, "You were messing with those chemicals again, weren't you?"

"No," the boy gave her an annoyed reply as he wiped his face on his sleeve, "I took up chain smoking."

"Well," the girl huffed, folding her arms, "You'll get no pity from me for being dumb enough to mix your own explosives. Come on, we're going to lunch, then sensei wants to meet us for training."

"Yeah, alright," the redhead agreed, "My place needs to air out now anyway." After braving the smoke to crack a window or two, the boy came back out, closing the door behind him before twisting a piece of wire in the lock for a moment. After a click, the redhead pulled the tool free and made to leave.

"It'd be easier if you used a key you know," commented Sasuke as they descended the stairs.

"For you maybe," Arata replied.

As the group walked, Sakura noticed that Naruto wasn't the only one limping. Arata seemed to be favoring the foot he'd used to get back at the blonde.

"You alright Arata?" the girl asked, concern written on her features, "Did you injure your foot or something?"

The boy immediately corrected his step before the others turned see what she was talking about, "No, I'm fine. Where are we going for lunch?"

"It's Friday," Sakura sighed as Naruto announced the same with a wide grin.

"Ramen then," Arata shrugged.

"You'd better be okay," Sasuke called over his shoulder, "You're going to have enough trouble keeping up with me today as it is."

The redhead stuffed his hands in his pockets, grumbling beneath his breath, "I'll keep up. I'll keep my foot up your-"

"Arata!"

***

"What'll the two of you have to drink then?"

"Water please," Kurenai answered, smiling politely at the brunette taking their orders.

"Sake," said her companion, "Keep it coming."

The Genjutsu mistress raised a disapproving brow at the woman sitting next to her, "It's not even noon Anko."

As the girl returned with their drinks, Anko poured herself a helping of Sake and brandished the small bowl with a devilish grin, "Early bird gets the Tequila worm Kurenai-chan."

Tipping the bowl back to punctuate her words, the woman smacked her lips at the taste, "Right, we were talking about the Hokage switching around the brats on your team."

"They aren't brats," Kurenai shot back, "They're my students."

"Not the one you've been whining about," Anko pointed out, taking another gulp.

"I have not been whining!" the instructor growled.

"I don't see what the problem is," Kurenai's companion shrugged, "They're all the same cannon fodder."

"And yet, somehow, you haven't been trusted with a team yet," the instructor sighed.

Anko only snickered, jabbing her friend in the side with her elbow, "Come on, lighten up. All right, I'll take this seriously. What's your problem with the kid?"

"Where to start?" Kurenai asked as she stared down at her water, "He has no respect for authority, he somehow ends up on the bad side of almost everyone he meets, and he doesn't seem to comprehend what these funny law things are and why people keep getting bent out of shape when he breaks them."

"I like him already," the special Jonin said absentmindedly as she gave a flirting look at a pair of men across the room from her, licking her lips in what was meant to be a seductive fashion. The both of them went pale and quickly left, leaving money on the table.

"You would," the teacher grumbled, "But I'm the one that has to deal with him."

"Ku-chan," Anko said, elongating the last syllable as she bent her head backwards and arched her back to force her face under Kurenai's gaze, "He's just a brat. I'd never put up with him, but I'd expect you to give him more of a chance than this."

"Maybe," the kunoichi admitted, smiling softly at her friend's antics, "It's just, he doesn't take anything seriously. That attitude gets people killed. This is my first team as an instructor. I just want it to go right. Not to mention he'd probably scare Hinata witless."

Kurenai really didn't hate the child. She even approved of him being given a position in Kanoha, but if his inexperience or attitude put others in danger, then he shouldn't be a shinobi. Staring at her drink, the woman couldn't help but wonder if she just didn't want the extra stress. She'd never been an instructor before. This team meant everything to her. The kunoichi had always harbored a desire to teach, ever since quietly promising to herself that she would be there for Hinata. The woman had made another vow to provide the same support for Kiba and Shino when team assignments had been made. Asuma poked fun at her as being a big sister to anyone that would let her, having spent a significant amount of time in the doghouse for making the mistake of calling her a mother hen once. Of course she was protective of her students. So why shouldn't she be skeptical of the unknown factor that was this child? If he was a good person, then she'd welcome him. After all, how bad could a person that tormented Neji Hyuga be? But if he proved to be the delinquent his reputation made him out to be, well, someone had to make the hard decisions. She wasn't a bad person for being realistic. She wasn't.

The special Jonin finished her bottle, wiping her mouth on her sleeve, "Bah, you're overprotective. She's tougher than you think. She'd better be if she's ever gonna have her team's back. Anyway, if the kid is so bad, why not ask for a different Genin from Team Seven? That Uchiha kid or something."

Kurenai's face went crimson as she mumbled something into her glass.

Smelling a bit of fun, Anko began poking her friend in the side of the head repeatedly, "What was that Ku-chan? I didn't catch it."

Swatting the hand away, the Genjutsu mistress snapped, "He can cook, alright?!"

"He can cook?" the serpent Jonin asked with a bit of indignation, "Why wasn't I told? Are the other Jonin keeping me out of the loop again?"

"No," Kurenai replied, "Kakashi sat on the news."

"That asshole!" Anko shouted, "He knows the rules."

"That's what I said," agreed her friend.

"So, what are you going to do?" Anko asked.

"Simple. I'm going to sit the boy down and explain that whatever command style he's used to, I'm in charge now," Kurenai summed up, "And I expect him to obey orders."

Anko stared at her friend for a moment before loosing control and laughing in her face, "Geeze Kurenai, you sound like some wrinkled old instructor we used to make fun of. 'I'm in charge now'? Are you serious? Which training manual gave you that gem?"

Not about to admit the woman was right, the Jonin glared at her companion, "Like you would know!" Not the most eloquent of comebacks. The rising volume of the laughter coming from her friend told her that. Kurenai stewed as her companion calmed down before intercepting the replacement bottle the waitress had brought Anko.

"Hey!" the Serpent Jonin objected.

"I'm just taking a glass," Kurenai smiled, enjoying spoiling her friend's fun, "I need it. I'm meeting the boy here to discuss the mission in a few minutes. I found out his team always comes to this stand for lunch on Fridays."

"Interrupt his friend's lunch," Anko commented as she attempted to take back what was rightfully hers, "That'll get him on your side. Now gimme!"

Holding the special Jonin back with one arm, Kurenai poured herself a glass with the other, "I thought of that, it's why I planned a distraction for his teammates."

"I'll pretend I care later," Anko grunted as she nearly tackled her friend, "Now give it back."

"I don't think you've earned it considering your behavior," Kurenai smirked, continuing to keep the amber liquid from her friend's reach. What was it about Anko, the woman wondered, that always seemed to cause the Genjutsu mistress to devolve back to her younger years? Regardless, she had to admit, if only to herself, that it was fun.

The two were distracted from their childish tussle as a nervous squeak was heard behind them. Turning her head, Kurenai saw a small girl with a head of deep blue hair blushing profusely as she stared at her instructor.

Her face growing a crimson to match her student, Kurenai immediately released Anko from her headlock and straitened herself, "Ah, Hinata. It's good to see you got my message."

The girl nodded awkwardly, "You told me to meet you here for lunch Kurenai-sensei. If you are busy, however, I can come back."

Jabbing her snickering friend in the side, the Genjutsu mistress replied, "No, please stay. We haven't had lunch together in some time."

"Hey squirt!" Anko called as she quickly snatched the bottle back, causing Hinata to jump. The serpent Jonin had become a bit affectionate of the girl, having heard Kurenai talk about her so much over time, especially after meeting the small Hyuga on a few occasions. The Genjutsu mistress often wondered if the woman just enjoyed making the poor Genin uncomfortable. Hinata, on the other hand, simply thought the Serpent Jonin was terrifying.

Doing her best to summon a friendly smile, the girl took a seat next to her sensei, and thankfully away from the purple haired Jonin. After her companions gave their orders, Hinata stuttered her choice, appreciating the patient smile the brunette gave her.

Leaning over to speak in Kurenai's ear, Anko muttered, "This is your distraction? Clever. Hoping she'll 'distract' the blonde?"

"Quiet," the woman growled in return.

"What sensei?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Kurenai assured the girl, trying hard not to look like she was lying. The Jonin was relieved to have the attention taken away from her as a certain blonde chose that exact moment to make his rather loud entrance.

Pushing the curtain aside, Naruto announced with a wide grin, "Hey old man! Fire up the fryers, I'm starving today."

"You're starving every day," the owner smiled back at his favorite customer.

"I'm always starving for Ichiraku's," the blonde replied.

"We know," Sasuke sighed as she followed him in, "You never shut up about it."

"Could be worse," Sakura shrugged, "At least this is the best ramen place in town."

"Keep it up," Teuchi laughed with a bit of pride, "You might just get yourself a free bowl one of these days. The usual table is ready for you. Ayame, see to our best customers."

"On it dad," the waitress called, giving Naruto a warm smile as she led them to a table set away from the bar.

Kurenai watched from the corner of her eye as the group sat down and gave their orders, the blonde's requiring it's own sheet from the waitress' notepad. The team broke into sporadic conversation, laughing or shouting as the subject demanded. The instructor noticed that Hinata seemed to be watching Naruto with similar intensity, her face growing red as she attempted to hide her surveillance behind a menu.

As her food arrived, Kurenai thanked the cook and broke her chopsticks apart. As she pinched the first bunch of noodles, the Genjutsu mistress gave one last fleeting thought to turning the mission down, perhaps taking Anko's advice about the Uchiha. The thoughts were driven from her mind as she tasted the first bite of her food.

"Teuchi-sama," the woman called, having eaten there often enough to know the aging chef's name, "This is… This is very good. Are you trying something new?"

"Yep," the man answered, "I'm always improving my recipes."

"You mean that boy over there improved it," Ayame corrected the man, yanking on his ear to humble him.

"Alright, alright," Teuchi admitted, his face going red, "I caught the redhead messing with his ramen the other night and tried some of it. He's a natural."

"A natural who's getting free ramen for a month, isn't he dad?" Ayame gave a poisonous smile, making sure she was understood.

The man only nodded, "But not for his friends, they'd put us out of business."

Despite the quality of her meal, or rather because of it, Kurenai almost sighed. Now she had to have the boy on her team. Well, might as well get it over with.

Standing, the woman put a gentle hand on her student's shoulder, getting her to stand and steering her towards Team Seven.

"S-sensei?" Hinata mumbled, looking up in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"We're going to go say hello Hinata," Kurenai forced out.

The Hyuga wanted to say that no they were certainly not, but she found her mouth uncooperative, along with her knees as she moved awkwardly towards the object of her affection.

***

"So, there this jerk is, trying to pick a fight with me-" Naruto continued, holding up his fists to illustrate the story.

"Why was he mad at you?" Arata interrupted, leaning his chair back precariously.

"The idiot was drunk. Did he need a reason?" Naruto scowled, half at the memory and half at being interrupted, "Anyway, I'm eight and just trying to walk home. I don't want anything to do with him, but he won't let me go, gets in my face, you know?"

"You should have hit him and left," Sasuke criticized.

"At eight years old?" Sakura shot back over the table.

The Uchiha shrugged, "I would have."

"Well I was about to do something like that," Naruto added, frowning, "But something else happened first."

"Then out with it," the kunoichi nagged.

"Okay, well he lifts his arm like he's going to hit me right? Then out of nowhere, his pants fall down!" the blonde now waved his arms around mimicking the man's panic and causing Arata to duck.

"You can't be serious," Sasuke snorted.

"No, it happened," Naruto insisted as Arata snorted in the background, "A second later, Iruka-sensei's behind the guy, holding up his belt and saying the jerk should get home before he embarrasses himself any worse."

"Now I know you're joking," Sakura argued, unable to keep a smirk from her face, "Sensei would never do something like that."

"I know, but he did," the Genin said, his chest puffing out a bit, "It was one of Iruka Sensei's coolest moments."

"My," a female voice called, "I never knew Umino-san had it in him. I'll have to ask him about the story the next chance I get." The group's attention shifted to the newcomer as Kurenai approached.

"Oh, hi," Naruto grinned, "I didn't see you, uh, Karenai-sensei."

"K_u_renai dobe," Sasuke corrected him, "Kurenai Yuhi. My apologies Sensei."

"No offense taken," the woman waved the matter off, "I just thought my student and I would say hello."

"You and who?" Arata asked, raising an eyebrow. Kurenai gave the boy a confused look before noticing Hinata was gone from her side. Sighing, the Jonin stepped to the side to reveal Hinata timidly attempting to hide behind her instructor.

"Hinata!" the teacher hissed. The girl straitened as her face went a bit red.

"Hey Hinata, I haven't seen you since academy!" Naruto greeted with an enthusiasm Sasuke found sickening at times. Hinata tried to hide her flinch at the words. Still she couldn't help but smile at the blonde's warm welcome. The Hyuga bowed to the group, giving a polite greeting. At least she hoped she had, but she couldn't really hear anything over the pounding in her chest.

Sakura smiled at the girl. She hadn't known her very well at the academy, but she had nothing against her, and the kunoichi certainly wasn't going to pass up the chance at having another female around for once. Sasuke eyed her with indifference as Arata gave a relaxed wave.

"Well, to be honest, I do need to ask a favor," Kurenai began as she gave a small push to her student, hoping to signal her to sit down. Hinata missed the point entirely, remaining stiffly in front of the group.

"Could I possibly borrow you over here for a moment?" the woman asked, motioning towards the redhead and a table across the room.

Arata gave her a confused look, "What for?"

Kurenai didn't like the question, but made sure not to show it, "It concerns a message from the Hokage's office."

"What is it?" the boy asked, not looking as if he were going anywhere. The Jonin felt her blood pressure rise at the lack of cooperation, but it was Sakura that knocked him in the back of the head.

"Don't question an instructor," the girl scolded him, "If it wasn't private, she would have just told you."

"All right, all right, sorry," Arata apologized, lifting his legs to allow the chair to fall forward and propel him to his feet in the same, exceptionally lazy motion.

After giving the girl a small appreciative look, Kurenai put on her friendliest face and led the boy away calling over her shoulder, "Why don't you eat lunch with them Hinata?" The Hyuga, who had almost instinctually followed her sensei, felt her stomach somersault. She didn't know whether to celebrate or flee. On one hand, this was lunch with Naruto-kun. On the other, this was lunch with Naruto-kun. In the course of a few moments, her mind warred with itself over whether or not she could or should do this. Maybe she should find a reason to leave, avoid embarrassing herself. But her sensei's voice cut into her head. She'd never get anywhere not taking chances right? Kurenei-sensei had told her that so many times. Go for it. Definitely go for it. Cobbling together every scrap of courage she could find, the girl pushed the turmoil down and nodded, taking the seat that had recently been occupied by the redhead. If Naruto weren't there, she might have wondered who he was.

The subject of Hinata's affection watched her sit down. She seemed nervous. Why would she be nervous? Naruto certainly never scared anyone. Pushing his bottom lip out, the blonde wondered if she was acting like a number of fan girls did around Sasuke. He dismissed the thought. One of the reasons he always sort of liked her was that she'd never shown any interest in the Uchiha. Hinata always seemed less vacuous than most of those girls. Not that Sakura was. The blonde suddenly found himself thankful that the girl couldn't read his mind.

Sakura leaned over the table, beaming at her newfound feminine ally, "So, Hinata, what's your team like?"

"Oh," the Hyuga replied awkwardly, trying to make conversation, "Both of them are quite nice. Kiba-san is always enthusiastic, but Shino-san can be a bit distant sometimes."

"You mean the kid with the sunglasses and that thick coat?" Sakura asked, pressing her finger to her chin as she thought, "He always seemed kind of weird. I don't think he ever said a word to me at academy."

Hinata was quick to add, "He may seem strange, but he finds his own ways to communicate. He's actually quite gentle."

The pink-haired kunoichi blushed and held up a hand, "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't talk. I don't know him."

"How does he fight though?" Naruto broke in, "I only saw him spar a little in the academy. Does his family really use those freaky bug jutsus?"

"Naruto," his female teammate growled, "Not everything is about fighting! Can we please stop talking about violence for once?"

Turning back to Hinata, Sakura continued, "About Shino though, have you seen him without the glasses and coat? Is he cute?"

Hinata's face lit up crimson at the question, the girl suddenly fiddling with her finger tips, "Uh, well, that is to say, I never thought about it…" She really hadn't. Just the idea of anyone other than Naruto was something alien to her. Great, now her mind was back on Naruto. The Hyuga was blushing even worse now.

Sakura had always been a bit of a gossip, only surpassed in the habit by Ino. Seeing the girl in front of her fumbling for words set off a few alarms, alarms she got completely wrong.

"Say," the kunoichi grinned, lowering her voice, "Could you be interested in him Hinata?"

"What?!" the Hyuga asked in alarm, forgetting to keep her voice in check, "I-no-I don't-"

"Don't worry," the pink-haired girl assured her in a whisper, giving the girl a playful nudge, "I'm sticking with Sasuke, so he's all yours. I get it though, going for the mysterious guy. Your secret's safe with me." It most certainly was not. Ino was going to die when she heard this. Even their rivalry could be put aside to meet on the common grounds of the surreptitious discussion of the lives of others.

"Of course she isn't interested in him. She's keeping her options open for someone like me." Looking up, the group saw a young man approaching, only a year or two older than them. Tossing back hair the color of dirty straw, he grinned at the girls as if expecting them to agree immediately.

"Yeah," Sakura replied, her voice deadpan, "Because a line like that will have me falling to pieces. Please catch me… Please…"

"Never said I was interested in you forehead," the boy sneered, "Play your cards right and we'll see. I was talking to her." The newcomer hooked a thumb at Hinata.

As Sakura gave the young man a look akin to a dog getting ready to leap, he leaned over to be face to face with the Hyuga, "Come on. I'm a gentleman, let me buy you lunch. Anywhere's got to be better than ramen."

"Th-Thank you, but no," the girl answered, growing uncomfortable with the boy intruding on her personal space, "I'm already eating with-"

"So leave," the boy pushed, "anywhere, you name it. I just want a lunch with a pretty girl in exchange."

"Hey jerk," Naruto called from across the table, "She said no."

Turning to look at the blonde, the boy said, "Listen squirt, we'll have a battle of wits when you find some. Now if you'll excuse me, we're having a private conversation."

The Genin had to restrain himself from leaping over the table at his opponent. No one messed with his friends, and Hinata clearly didn't want the young man there. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Sasuke holding him back. The Uchiha gave him a look, and the boy decided to let it go. Naruto calmed himself and tried to keep in mind he shouldn't interfere where he wasn't needed. Even if he did dearly wish to collapse the creep's face.

"Heh," the boy huffed, "Fine."

"Naruto?" Sakura demanded, "What are you doing? He's messing with our friend." Hinata was asking herself the same question as she tried to inch away from the other blonde in front of her. Didn't he care at all? She was pretty certain he didn't have feelings for her, but she at least thought they were on positive terms enough to where he'd help her with something this small. Maybe she really did mean nothing to him.

"Just trying to keep things from getting out of hand," Naruto added softly, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.

The arrogant young man's face snapped back to the boy, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're harassing a shinobi," the Genin informed his opponent, "You keep that up and she'll make you regret it." Hinata froze at the words. Naruto thought she was strong. Her. Hinata. He had faith in her. It was an oddly attractive thought that if she beat the boy in front of her senseless, she might very well impress the blonde. The Hyuga knew that violence would probably only make things worse, even if she won, but that didn't stop her muscles from tensing anyway. A shadow of a dangerous smile spread across the girl's lips, something alien but somehow almost delightful, and it made the offending male's face grow pale.

"And if Sakura-chan has taught me anything," Naruto continued, "angry kunoichi hit harder than we ever could."

The group collectively blanched at the words with Sakura sighing, "You were doing so well. Why didn't you quit talking?"

As Naruto gave them a clueless look, Sasuke fixed the intruder with a cold stare, "Keep in mind that if you fought her, we, as fellow leaf shinobi, would be obliged to help her in that." Any color remaining in the formerly arrogant boy's face drained away as he nervously straitened himself, removing himself from Hinata's space.

"Man, forget this," he spat, stuffing his hands in his pockets in a futile attempt at salvaging his pride, "You just missed an opportunity sweety."

Watching the boy storm out, Naruto called, "Yeah you better get lost. No one messes with my friends."

Looking back at Hinata, the blonde smiled, making her day complete as he said, "Sorry. I know you could have handled that creep, but I guess I lost my temper when he wouldn't leave you alone."

"That's okay Naruto-kun. Thank you all," the Hyuga replied as she tried not to float off to cloud nine in front of the group. She was his friend. He'd said it, shouted it almost. That was a step forward. A big one. She felt her thoughts swimming and her head growing light. The Hyuga took a few sips of ice water to calm herself as she tried not to do anything embarrassing.

The flood of confidence caused her to take another gamble, "Naruto… Would your team like to do this again? Lunch I mean? I mean, if you don't or are busy I understand-"

"Sure," the boy grinned, not giving the matter a second thought.

"Anything as an excuse to come to Ichiraku's huh?" Sasuke snorted, ignorant of the delighted blush crawling over Hinata's face.

***

Rounding a corner, the offending young man grinned to himself. His fingers crossed, a puff of smoke enveloped him, revealing a feminine figure as it cleared. Anko was thoroughly pleased with herself. Real preteen romantic medaling beat a stupid novel any day. The Hyuga so owed her. She figured the blonde did too if he ever got some sense knocked into his head. The Uzumachi brat had surprised her. The Serpent Jonin had been setting him up to play the white knight, a classic bit, but he'd turned it into something revolving around the girl. Points for style.

"Dang," the woman sighed, "If I were a few years younger, I would totally traumatize him. Good thing I'm not that type though." Oh well, she'd have to settle for a free lunch. After all, Kurenai would most likely be so thankful, she wouldn't hesitate to pick up the tab Anko had walked out on. Even if the Genjutsu user wasn't touched by her friend's clearly selfless actions, the special Jonin had no intention of going back. Whistling a tuneless song as she walked away, she wondered what else she could get into before the day was out.(*4)

***

The plastic cushion of the booth squeaked as Arata settled in. Giving a sideways glance back towards his friends, the redhead hoped this wouldn't take long. The woman taking a seat across from him just smiled as she waved for the waitress to bring her bowl over from the counter, but he read into the look a little further. She was forcing it. He'd watched enough people to know. There was a real smile, something meant to be on your face, something your body does by reflex as if the expression was itself just a muscle being flexed. Then there was the rigid thing in front of him. When they tried to fake it, the average person just pulled back the corners of their mouth and assumed they were smiling. Most of the time, they weren't. The redhead kept his face neutral as he tried to gauge the look. She was probably just trying to be friendly, no reason he couldn't do the same. It certainly had nothing to do with how attractive she was. It was just a little warm in the room.

Still, something about her posture told him she wasn't quite relaxing. He wondered what she expected from him.

"I don't believe we've ever met," the woman began, her lips moving a bit stiffly as they tried to hold the false expression, "My name is Kurenai Yuhi. I'm an instructor Jonin in the village."

Arata gave his own weak smile, and nodded, "Arata."

Kurenai cleared her throat, "Well, I needed to speak to you about a mission my team will be going on. One of my student Genin has become ill, but my team still needs to complete the mission. On the recommendation of the Hokage, you have been assigned to supplement the missing space on my team."

The redhead was about to reply when his attention was drawn towards a commotion at his previous table. Naruto looked about ready to fight some guy who was sneering at him, and Sakura seemed ready to do it if the blonde wasn't.

Trying to keep an eye on his friends, Arata absentmindedly asked, "Won't that be too many Genin? I mean, my team's supposed to be too big in the first place."

The instructor felt a slight pain forming just behind her eyes. The boy couldn't be this clueless. That was his teammate's job.

"No," Kurenai tried patiently to explain, "you, Arata, are to be assigned to my team. It's nothing permanent, just until this mission is finished." The former thief's attention snapped back to the conversation at the announcement, Ayame quietly delivering his meal before hurrying back to the bar.

The boy's shocked expression was quickly replaced with a slight scowl, "I don't know. That doesn't sound like a good idea."

The Genjutsu mistress had to work hard not to whole-heartedly agree, but instead lost her smile as she said, "The decision has already been made. Now, I need you to be-"

"You sure I can't talk to someone?" Arata asked, apparently still not convinced, "Maybe my team could work with yours or take the mission ourselves-"

"It's not your choice to make," Kurenai glowered, "If you get an order from the Hokage himself, you follow it. You don't argue. Understood?" The pain in her forehead had settled into an even throbbing pattern. The boy was pushing her buttons and they hadn't even gotten to the damned mission yet. The redhead set hard eyes on his newfound opponent, but said nothing, breaking his chopsticks and eating with quick, jerking motions.

"Good," the Genjutsu mistress stated, "And while we're at it, I need you to understand something. You have a reputation for having little respect for other's properties. If that's true, I expect it to change if you're going to be working with my students."

The instructor was surprised to see a look resembling offense flash over the boy's face as he muttered, "I don't steal from my ga- team. It's just… not done." It was a strange feeling listening to the boy state the fact as if it were an unspoken law, some taboo she should have known not to accuse him of. It was also frustrating realizing that _that_ had been the one rule so far he seemed to keep sacred.

"You don't steal period," she corrected him.

"Fine, I wasn't going to keep it anyway," the boy sighed, reaching under the table. When his hand came back up, it was holding Kurenai's billfold. Placing it next to her bowl without a word, Arata went back to eating his meal. The Kunoichi might have been angrier had she not been trying her hardest to figure out how he had done that.

As if he had read her mind, the redhead answered through bites of his meal, "You watched my hands every time they went under the table, so you weren't paying attention when you could see them. No one ever watches my feet."

Kurenai snatched her wallet back and made to scold the boy but stopped. Taking a deep breath, she tried to let the matter go. She'd come into the conversation with the accusation first. She'd started it, not him, and like the child he was, he'd reacted. If the woman wanted to be a real teacher, she needed to have patience. Even, or especially, with the students that made her want to hurt them… badly.

"Let's try this again," Kurenai began, forcing herself to keep her voice even, "I may have been… unfair in how I spoke. If you agree to behave yourself on the mission, I won't make any more assumptions about you."

Slurping down some of the broth in his bowl, Arata put the dish down and nodded, "So what's the job (*)?"

Happy to be able to move away from the conflict, Kurenai began to eat again. After swallowing, the Kunoichi answered, "It's a tracking mission. We're to aid in the capture of a group of thieves responsible for a number of breaking and entering incidents in southern Fire Country. According to the brief, the local authorities think there are four or five in the group to pull the jobs they've been responsible for."

The Genin gave the statement an appraising look, "And the village has seen fit to send its resident 'expert' to help find them."

Kurenai just shrugged, "You object?"

The redhead gave a wry grin, "Nah, should be fun. They probably got the number wrong by the way."

The Genjutsu Mistress raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Pulling the last strings of noodles into his mouth, the boy said, "Bandits work in large groups. They need the numbers for what they do. Thieves don't. After a certain number, more just get in the way. If you want to be quiet, it's common sense to lower the number of sources of noise. Police think because the job was difficult, there were more of us. It just means we're better. Less people also means a bigger share of the take. You can imagine where the priorities lie. If they're any kind of professional, they have three at the most."

Kurenai just stared at the boy, trying to keep her mouth shut. That had been almost… professional. She'd heard Chunin give less specific reports.

"What?" Arata asked, "You people hired me because I was good at something. You didn't get me for my cooking, right?"

The Kunoichi's face suddenly went red, stuttering, "Of course not."

"I was joking," the Genin added, wondering what she was thinking.

"Yes," Kurenai agreed, "Well, I knew that. We meet to leave tomorrow morning at the front gates; six o'clock. Otherwise, we're done."

"Cool," was Arata's only answer as he got up. Watching him go, Kurenai pondered the upcoming mission. Maybe the boy had been the right choice after all. That certainly didn't make him the easier path.

The Genjutsu mistress was broken from her thoughts as Ayame returned with the bill. Looking down and then quickly to the empty bar, Kurenai realized she'd been watching the wrong thief. Her headache mocking her as it continued to tap-dance on her cerebellum, the Jonin held up her hand to add another bottle to the bill.

* * *

*1 Way back when Arata first joined the team. Chapter 7.

*2 That's the term for weapon jutsu correct?

*3 Admittidly a little OOC, but I figure every job has unwritten laws of politeness. Also it's funny to me.

*4 Anko is way too fun to write for.

*5 I have _always_ wanted to say that. Who hasn't?

Okay, well, classes and life got interesting, so sorry this took a back burner for a while (Luckily both are going far better now). What's happening storywise is that these events take place leading up to the exams, as the show seemed to insinuate that a certain amount of time had passed between the land of waves and the Chuniin exams. Basically I'm taking liberties. I'm going to follow the events of the mission and the remainder of team seven's continued training and whatnot. Hinata was interesting to write for. I'm hoping I didn't overdo it with her. I don't think you can with Anko. After the first couple of children she holds at knife point, you'd be surprised what people will let slide (words to live by if I've ever heard them). Anyway, read, review, enjoy!


	16. Forests and Fights

**Forests and Fights**

The morning lights of dawn began to creep over Kanoha, bringing with them a beautiful golden tint that made the entire landscape resemble something to shame any leader's treasury. Just outside the towering gates, Kurenai gazed at the orange and pink horizon marking where the sun would soon rise. Looking past the majesty of the scene, the seasoned Shinobi noted the lack of clouds. Most likely, the recent rain was over, which came as a relief to the woman.

Looking away from the sight, Kurenai noted her team waiting behind her. Red-eyed from the early rise, Hinata counted through the supplies in her backpack. It was one of many nervous habits the girl had. She also had a tendency to over-pack, which had originally slowed her down, but, overtime had unintentionally added to her stamina as she had refused to hold her team back. It was small moments like that that always restored Kurenai's faith in the girl. Hinata had a determination few saw beneath her nerves and lack of self-confidence. The poor girl may not have much faith in herself, but when those she cared about needed her, Hinata rarely let them down. It was one of the reasons the Genjutsu mistress slightly hoped the Uzumachi might one day return her student's affection. Believing she could impress the boy might be the boost the girl needed.

Pushing the over-trod matters from her mind, Kurenai saw Shino next to the girl, barely moving as he stared down the road. Wearing his trademark sunglasses, even before the sun had risen, the boy's face was its usual calm mystery. Shino was an odd Genin. Many thought the boy socially inept or apathetic to most of the world, but his instructor had learned that he just spoke far more in his actions. The insect user cared deeply for those close to him, he simply saw no point in making speeches about the matter. He would help those that needed him, staying behind to train longer with Hinata or helping keep Akamaru free of parasites, and then return to whatever he had been contemplating before he had been interrupted. Kurenai wondered if the boy simply saw no logic in becoming worked up over anything. The Jonin was distracted from her thoughts as Shino moved his head to look behind them.

Gravel crunched underfoot as the last of them arrived. The orange morning light went rather well with the wild locks of Arata's hair. His pack bobbing on his shoulders as he stopped, the boy looked expectantly at his newfound leader.

"Good," Kurenai said as a greeting, "you're on time."

Looking back to her original team, the teacher motioned to them and said, "Well, I suppose some introductions are in order. As I told you yesterday, Kiba will be temporarily replaced for the purpose of this mission. This is Arata-san from Team Seven." The redhead gave half of a sleepy wave.

Shino stepped forward and gave a simple statement, "Shino Aburame. Genin."

"Arata," the fellow Genin replied in turn, eyeing the stoic boy. Shino continued to stare for a moment as the redhead began to fidget under the gaze.

The bug user eventually spoke again before Hinata could introduce herself, "You were chosen because of the context of the mission, correct? You are quite experienced in infiltration and acquisition I suspect." Kurenai almost sighed. Shino had never been known for diplomacy. Maybe he saw no logic to niceties either.

Arata just shrugged, "Yeah, I guess. I'm good at what I do." Hinata was curious. She couldn't quite figure out who this boy was. The Hyuga could only remember him as the child from lunch yesterday that had been sitting next to Naruto-kun. She'd never heard of an Arata in the academy, and certainly not one skilled in such areas. Still, the name kept ringing in her ear, as if nagging her for not remembering it.

"Good," Shino noted, "I look forward to working with an expert. I know little of such matters." The redhead wasn't entirely sure how to take that. It was the first time someone had described him in those words.

He decided he rather liked it, "Thanks."

Hinata noticed that her Sensei was looking at her expectantly and realized it was her turn.

Stepping forward, she gave a deep bow she had practiced for her familial duties a number of times, "Hinata Hyuga, of the clan Hyuga, main branch."

A thought struck Hinata, "You are from Team Seven?"

Arata nodded, "Why?"

The kunoichi suddenly blushed, a change hard to detect in the dawn light, "No reason."

"Um, well, Arata," the boy introduced himself again.

"It is good to meet you Arata-san," the girl said before realizing something else, "Um, what was your surname?"

"Depends on who you ask," he shot back.

As Hinata gave the boy a curious look, Kurenai tried to cut the conversation off, "Lets walk and talk. If we keep a fair pace, we can hopefully reach the town by tomorrow afternoon."

As the group began to move, the Hyuga fell in step beside the new addition, "Ah, Arata-san, I didn't understand what you said before, about your family name."

The redhead shrugged, "I don't have one." That was an unexpected answer. Hinata found herself with nothing to say to the boy as she tried to process the reply.

Behind her she heard Shino's calm voice inform her, "Arata-san was formerly of a wandering lifestyle before being apprehended by Team Seven for minor theft. The Hokage saw fit to allow him a better focus of his skills." Suddenly the name wriggled its way into her mind and registered. It was _that_ Arata. The one responsible for the Nobend's recent troubles. The one that seemed to infuriate her cousin so much. The boy rogue that had a reputation for, well, a lot of things. The Kunoichi suddenly let loose a sound that could only be described as an "eep" before jumping and covering her mouth.

Arata rolled his eyes beneath his hood. He didn't need this. She'd probably be like the rest now, watching him like he was about to mug her at any moment. Slowing his pace a bit, the redhead drifted to the back of the group before matching their pace again.

"That may not have been the kindest of welcomes Hinata," Shino commented softly as if describing the weather.

"I-I didn't mean to-," she whispered back before feeling a hand on her shoulder.

Kurenai gave her student a look that told her to calm down, "Relax, things will smooth over as we travel." Hinata wanted to believe that. Maybe she should let the matter cool. Still, guilt nagged at her. As she thought about it, from what she'd heard, Naruto had become fast friends with his new teammate. Arata probably deserved more of a chance than that if her crush trusted him. Also, if Naruto thought she had treated his friend unfairly… Making up her mind, she came to a dead stop for a moment until Arata caught up with her. Beginning to walk again, she noticed the redhead wasn't even looking at her.

"Um," she began, cursing her words as they immediately failed her, "Arata-san?"

"Yeah?" came the aloof reply.

"I'm… sorry," the girl offered, "That wasn't- I shouldn't have jumped like that."

The boy didn't respond, but Hinata saw him glance sideways at her as she continued, "I've never met you before. I shouldn't have leapt to conclusions. I wish to start over if you are willing." Hinata watched the boy expectantly for a moment. She hoped he wouldn't stay angry.

Her fears were alleviated when Arata shrugged the matter off, "Sure, no problem."

The Hyuga breathed a sigh of relief before the Genin added, "You know, you're easier to get along with than that other guy in your family."

"Neji-kun?" Hinata asked, "He's my cousin."

Arata gave her an odd look, "My sympathies." The girl almost smiled. It was nice not to be immediately measured against her relative for once.

Her curiosity getting the better of her, she asked, "Did-did you really steal Neji's wallet?"

Holding up two fingers, the boy answered, "Twice. Well, that he knows of." Hinata couldn't help herself. Despite her mortification, she laughed.

***

As the midday sun beat down on the group, birds sang and called in the trees, each demanding attention from a mate or rival with their own unique voices. Bugs zipped through the air, pulling loops and summersaults on drafts of wind imperceptible to the traveling shinobi. Kurenai swatted one of them from her face as they came to a point where the path widened. There were signs that others had often used the spot for camps, a ring of stones marking where a fire might have been a few days ago, the ashes now a dark grey mess in the middle. The rain had turned them largely to mud before the sun had dried the ashes into a silver cake.

The Genjutsu mistress found herself inclined to continue the pattern, "Alright, we break for lunch. We're a little ahead of schedule, so it can be a warm meal. Shino, start a fire. Hinata, see if you can't find anything fresh in the area, roots, berries, anything not preserved. Arata?" Kurenai looked to see the boy already sitting down. The redhead had been in the rear of the group most of the day, and the instructor was beginning to become annoyed with him.

"People stop here to use the nearby creek," the Jonin said, "Would I be inconveniencing you if I asked you to fetch some water?" The boy glared at her for the comment before standing and collecting the group's canteens.

Kurenai watched them go about their work and took stock. Hinata and Arata seemed on even footing now, but the team still seemed a bit put off by the change. If the Jonin wanted them working together on this, she needed them to be able to talk more freely. Maybe she could encourage them over dinner when they stopped for the night. After a few minutes of pondering these things, she saw Arata come back through the woods, water skins jostling at his side. Depositing them next to the groups' packs, the redhead noted Shino's efforts in starting a fire.

"No luck?" the Genin asked as the Aburame continued to strike the tender and flint to no avail.

"No," came the terse reply, the slightest bit of frustration in Shino's voice, "The wood is still damp from the rain."

Arata looked the pile of firewood up and down before saying, "You tried an accelerant?"

"A what?" Shino asked, finally turning to look at his companion. Kurenai watched the scene unfold from over the map she had been reviewing. Arata motioned for the Aburame to back up before pulling an unlabeled plastic squeeze bottle from his bag. The redhead flexed his hand, and the tip sprayed a thin jet of a clear liquid over the stubborn kindling. Producing a match from seemingly nowhere, the boy rolled up his right sleeve and dragged the match head over the rough wrappings covering his forearm like a magician might pull flowers from his cuff. The match hissed as it sprung to life with a small orange flame. Carefully holding the burning light above the wood, the boy let go and yanked his hand back. This was for the best as the moment the match hit the wood, a small pillar of flame leapt up to roughly the height of the two boys before settling down to manageable size in a few seconds. Kurenai nearly jumped at the ferocity of the small cooking fire. Shino looked at the happy flame, now at a normal level and hissing a bit as any remaining dampness was quickly being evaporated.

Turning, he saw Arata smiling softly as he looked at his handiwork, "I see your expertise extends beyond what I had originally considered."

"I'm good at fire," the boy responded simply, putting the bottle away. As she smacked the map against her side to put out the corner that had caught fire from a stray spark, Kurenai was almost certain that was a hobby that would end poorly(*1). Still, with a fire came warm meals, and with that a chance to find out if Arata lived up to his reputation.

Realizing one of them hadn't returned, Kurenai stood up, "I'm going to go check on Hinata."

"I'll get her," Arata offered, already heading towards the woods, "I can see what she has for me to work with." Stepping through the brush, he picked up her perfume. It was a subtle scent, lacking the gaudy nature of the fragrances used by most girls her age, but it was there, mixed with something oddly similar to honey. Picking up another scent beneath the perfume, Arata's nose twitched. Maybe he could make this lunch a bit special.

***

_ He must be very hungry,_ Hinata thought as she watched the small creature in front of her continue to nibble at the greens she offered, _I can't believe he's this close to me._ The girl knew she should be getting back to camp, but her side pouch was already filled with a few herbs and roots she had found, and how often did one get a chance like this? She wondered if the adorable thing might let her pet it if she moved very slowly. The creature's nose twitched as it ate, the faint breath tickling the girl's fingers and forcing her to suppress a squeal of delight. A snapping twig was heard in the bushes to her right and her newfound friend took off, disappearing into the bushes.

Within a second, thoughts of her loss were gone, replaced by instinct. Rising from her crouch the girl fell into stance in the blink of an eye, readying herself. Whatever had caused the noise had been large, but trying to move quietly. It could be one of the others, but it could just as easily be a bandit or wild animal seeking easy prey. Looking around her, she prepared to unlock her Byakugan if her guest didn't show themselves. A rustling in the bushes to her left caught Hinata's attention and put her on edge before Arata finally stepped through.

Relief flooding her limbs, the girl relaxed her stance and smiled, "Hello Arata-san. Did Kurenai-sensei send you?" The boy nodded as he tried to untangle himself from a shrub with one arm.

Hinata apologized, "I am sorry. I just got distracted. There was the cutest little bunny and he was eating from my hand and everything. You might have seen him, but I think you scared him away." Arata's face froze and went a bit pale, his other arm becoming stiff as it held something behind his back.

"Arata?" Hinata asked, confused by the strange behavior, "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing," the boy answered, turning to keep his back directly opposite from the girl.

Curious, the Hyuga asked, "What's that?"

"W-what's what?" Arata replied quickly.

"Behind your back," Hinata pushed.

"…don't freak out."

***

Kurenai was about to start looking for the pair herself when she finally heard them returning.

"It took you long enough," the woman began, but stopped as she turned to see them. Arata stood there, covered in leaves with Hinata lying over his shoulders in a fireman's carry, unconscious with a terrified expression on her face. At the boy's waste, hanging from his belt by a leather loop, was the body of a small rabbit, it's neck at an angle that showed the creature to be quite dead.

The boy looked up to see Kurenai's face matching that of his passenger and said, "Okay, so, I can explain this."

"I do hope so," came the ludicrously calm voice of Shino.

***

Across the training field, a number of metallic notes rang out. There was no pattern or melody, just the occasional clang of metal striking metal, accented by the soft grunts of the Genin as they trained. Darting forward and back, lashing out before retreating, the group spared with kunai. Naruto was breathing heavy as he tried to keep up with his opponent. His foe was stronger and had a longer reach, but he was faster. The boy needed to keep his distance for now. Sakura knew he did too and pressed ahead. Flipping the blade forward in her hand, she jabbed for the blonde's side. Naruto slashed to his left to intercept the knife, but Sakura dropped her arm back, revealing the feint. Her empty left hand shot forward and caught the wrist of her opponent's knife hand. Pulling hard towards herself, she yanked Naruto off balance, sending him collapsing towards her and his stomach into the waiting point of her knife. Upon contact, the tip of the training kunai shattered, the soft plastic that made up the point of the blade splitting to release the neon paint inside.

It was a clear triumph, but Naruto hadn't finished falling yet. Tripping forward, he collided with Sakura and the pair went tumbling to the ground. When he opened his eyes, Naruto was eye to eye with the kunoichi. His face took on an immediate scarlet as the two stared dumbly for a moment. He could feel her breathe as the pair kept staring. A voice in the back of the Genin's mind wondered if her cheeks were red because of the training.(2*)

"G-good move Sakura-chan," the blonde managed.

As if awoken by the words, the girl heaved forward and tossed the boy back, "Thanks, now get off!" Naruto was propelled back a few feet by the force, collapsing on the grass.

"Seriously Naruto," Sakura lectured, "You need to lay off at the fifth bowl of ramen."

The blonde sat up, grass tangled in his golden mop of hair, "Sorry Sakura-chan, I was really hungry today. That was a cool move though."

The girl suppressed a blush and said, "I was supposed to spin at the last moment and let you fall after the stab. Arata showed it to me. He's good at this stuff."

"Yeah," the blonde agreed before resting his chin in his hand in a thoughtful pose, "I never see him use that big knife of his in a fight though."

Sakura stood and dusted herself off, "Makes sense. There's only one, so it's not meant for throwing, and Genin don't use our kunai in close proximity much either, save to counter an enemy that does. The village encourages us to take our opponents alive and unarmed skills suit the tactic better."

Naruto was about to agree when a shadow fell over him. Before he could look up, the boy felt a weight colliding with him, sending him tumbling.

The pair coming to a halt, Sasuke rolled off of Naruto, brushed himself off and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened, "It's a mistake."

Snapping back forward, the blonde shouted, "Watch where you're going! And what do you mean a mistake?"

Sasuke snorted at the question, "If he has an advantage, he should use it. Hesitation can cost as many lives as holding back saves."

Approaching the trio, fresh from flinging one student into the other, Kakashi chimed in, "And is being more able to take a life an advantage Sasuke?" The raven-haired Genin shot a glare at his instructor and looked ready to reply, but said nothing. Kakashi worried a bit at what his answer might have been.

"Arata can hold his own Sasuke," Naruto spat, ignorant of the look in his teammate's eye.

The Uchiha climbed to his feet and shrugged, "He hasn't been lately."

"Sasuke," Sakura chided, "You shouldn't say things like that."

Before Naruto could shout an argument, Sasuke replied, "I don't doubt he can keep up, but if he holds back, he's slowing us all down."

"Well, since you and Naruto seem to be in such a combative mood, and you have the energy to waste on idle chat," Kakashi broke in, his tone declaring the matter closed, "What do you say the two of you burn it off with a sparring match. No restrictions. I want your best or you're both staying for laps. Around the village."

Grinning at a chance for payback, Naruto took his place across the field from Sasuke. His opponent took the opposite position and waited, almost bored as he watched Naruto bounce on his heals in anticipation. Orange book already in hand, Kakashi dragged his attention from the pages long enough to lift his hand and let it fall, signaling the match.

Naruto immediately formed his favored seal, shouting "Kage-bunshin no Jutsu!" His end of the field quickly began to fill with dozens of the blonde's images. With a bellowed cry, the group charged. Sasuke gave a contemptuous tsk at the move. Predictable Naruto. He always did this and had yet to even knock the Uchiha down in a fight. Withdrawing a single shuriken from his pouch, Sasuke flung his arm forward and let it fly. The projectile buzzed through the air spinning at a speed to resemble a disk instead of a star. The weapon found no target, but impacted with the ground in front of the group, the clones continuing to charge past the failed attack.

Sakura was confused. It wasn't like her Sasuke to miss. Kakashi quietly watched over his book, a sudden concentration in his eye.

"That's a gamble," the Jonin thought, "If this fails, he'll be begging to be overrun."

Sasuke brought his hand to his mouth and seemed to bite his thumb before beginning to run through a long series of hand seals. When finished, the army of Naruto's was almost upon him. The Uchiha could feel the chakra welling up inside him as he concentrated. His chest warmed and felt as if it were expanding. His throat seemed to be on pins and needles as he forced the energy upward. His teethe almost seemed to rattle in his mouth as he felt the force he was about to unleash. It was this time, the moment right before release, that he felt it all, that he felt the most alive. And by the gods it felt good.

Opening his mouth, the force finally rushing out, he called "Ryuka no Jutsu." The wire leading from his teeth to the shuriken still planted in the ground behind the charging clones lit up in dazzling flames, the thick gout of fire traveling through the group to collide with the end of the line, crashing past the shuriken like a wave over a rock at the end point before dissipating. Clones in a wide arc in front of the Genin immediately blew apart, their smoke joining the thick black cloud rising from the blaze. Surveying his work, Sasuke's eyes darted to look for his opponent. The jutsu hadn't been enough to seriously hurt the blonde, but it would have certainly put him down.

Kakashi was impressed. Sasuke shouldn't be even close to that level of jutsu at his age, but the Jonin had watched it with his own eyes. Granted, it had been a tamer version than most, but he had time to master the technique before the exams. The instructor was also impressed that Naruto didn't seem fazed in the least. Zigzagging and ducking around his companions, the blonde did his best to replace the losses. The Genin's maneuvers made it difficult to track which obnoxiously orange combatant was him. With the crowd beginning to return to proper size, Kakashi wondered if his other student noticed some of the clones in the back disappearing.

Realizing quickly that he had missed his opponent due to the still very solid group of clones bearing down on him, Sasuke leapt back. He celebrated inside. Just now had been the first time he had used the Ryuka no Jutsu in a fight, and it had worked superbly. Now his blood was flowing. Now the Uchiha was in the fight. Soaring back, Sasuke felt his chest expanding again as he drew in a breath. Landing, the boy formed hand seals and pushed himself, feeling his body tremble at what he asked from it. The power rising again, the Uchiha let loose. From his mouth sprouted a cone of fire that widened as it grew, flowering in the manner that had given rise to the jutsu's name. As it reached a certain size, the incandescent petals began to break apart, forming a stream of fiery projectiles that flew forward, spreading out and decimating the remaining clones. As the Narutos disappeared, smoldering shuriken and kunai clattered to the ground behind them, their flames spent.

The Genin could feel it now. He was tired, but he was close. His eyes were burning. Flecks of red were becoming visible in his irises. As the smoke began to clear, Sasuke actually hoped Naruto wasn't down. If he could just push himself a little further…

Answering his wish, the ground surrounding the boy erupted as just under a dozen Naruto's sprung up from the earth. Surprised, Sasuke brought his arms up in defense, his form slow to respond from his exhaustion. Luckily, the Uchiha could always rely on Naruto's incompetence in Taijutsu. The clones began to fall as Sasuke fought, holding them and pushing back. A leg came flying from his left. The Genin ducked under it and spun into the owner with an elbow to the sternum, the chest giving resistance for a moment before collapsing into a white cloud. Catching a jab, Sasuke stepped forward and threw a punch into his opponent's throat, the figure disappearing in a haze. Still, there was always another to step forward, and too many flying limbs to be stopped at once. A fist got through and connected with the Uchiha's jaw, sending him staggering back. Catching his balance, Sasuke rode the pain and kept fighting, trying to keep his wits in the whirling melee. A foot clipped his shoulder there as a fist glanced painfully off his hip here. Still he was winning. The burning sensation giving way to a throbbing beat just behind his eyes, Sasuke reveled in the moment as he drove his hand through the last of them.

Standing triumphant, the Genin was breathing heavily as he tried to collect himself. Let his critics say what they will, Naruto made for a fantastic punching bag. With what he had learned from this fight, Sasuke might finally be able to unlock the Sharingan._ His_ Sharingan. The thoughts were short lived as he felt a powerful pair of grips attach themselves to his ankles. Looking down, Sasuke saw the hands and grinning face of Naruto poking up from the ground. Hearing rapid footsteps, the boy's eyes shot up to see a trio of the blondes charging towards him, dirt falling from their hair to mark their recent emergence. The middle one crouched and leapt into the air, the clones on either side of him cupping their hands together and catching the boy's feet as he landed. Screaming a battle cry, the middle Naruto was propelled forward by the blondes towards his shocked opponent. Colliding full force, Naruto's skull slammed into Sasuke's stomach, throwing the pair to the ground. Looking up, Sasuke saw Naruto on top of him, shaking.

The chakra exhaustion of producing so many clones and their own separate jutsus allowing him to do little more, the blonde gave a tired grin, "Finally did it. Finally knocked you down."

Kakashi was pleased. He'd yet to see that kind of performance from either of them. Naruto had never shown that kind of restraint and patience before. The boy was learning to think. The blonde had known that almost the only advantage he had on Sasuke was his chakra capacity. He needed to wear the boy down before he even stood a chance. The Uchiha had stepped up to the challenge considerably, showing off his own growing skills. But he'd fallen for it all the same, the Genin finally pushing Sasuke from his feet. Still, as the blonde lay there, trembling, Kakashi knew Sasuke was still the winner, Naruto having worked himself to exhaustion. One fall did not make the match. The Jonin's proud musings, however, did not last.

As he felt the power slipping, Sasuke glared up at his opponent in frustration. Without thinking he swung and landed a hook against Naruto's jaw. Growling, the blonde grabbed his teammate's shirt, pulling him with him as he rolled. The boys' match quickly dissolved into artless brawling as the two spat and cursed as they rolled about, fists flying between the tangled pair. Sasuke was winning against the tired blonde when he felt himself being lifted into the air by his collar. Naruto too was given the hangman's treatment as he was hoisted up.

"That's enough!" Kakashi bellowed at the two of them as he held them there. Sakura watched the group and worried. Sensei had never yelled like that before.

"Sasuke started it!" Naruto shouted back.

"Shut up Dobe!" the Uchiha argued.

"I said that's enough!" Kakashi repeated himself, shaking the two by their collars, "You're teammates damn it! Act like it!" The pair suddenly grew silent as they seemed to finally notice their enraged instructor.

Dropping the two to the ground, Kakashi spat, "I'm done. I've lost patients. Every step forward for you two is two backward."

"S-sensei," Sakura called, trying to calm the man.

"Quiet," the Jonin warned the girl before turning back to Naruto and Sasuke, "In two days, you two are meeting me here at noon and we settle this."

Turning and walking away, Kakashi called over his shoulder, "You're growing up even if it's at knife point."

After the man disappeared in a puff of smoke, Naruto was the first to speak, fear marking his words, "What the heck does that mean?"

***

"So Arata," Kurenai sighed once again as the group traveled, "You see a small rabbit in the woods."

"I smelled it," the boy corrected.

"You _smelled_ the rabbit," the instructor repeated, stressing the word with annoyance, shifting the weight in her arms, "And decided to find it instead of Hinata."

"I was going for both," the redhead defended himself.

"Well you clearly found one before the other," the Jonin added, "and your first thought at seeing the fuzzy little creature was how great it would look with the right seasonings?" Arata could see she was mad. It was probably best to keep his head low, try to settle the matter quietly. Probably.

"Rabbit is good meat," the Genin replied, betting against himself, "You should know, you ate it."

"It _was_ delicious," Shino felt the need to point out.

"That's not the point!" the woman snapped, her face scarlet at the mention of lunch. As the boy had explained what had happened, Kurenai had laid the girl down and done her best to wake her. Without a thought to the matter, Arata had gone about doing his assigned work, lunch. Unfortunately, about the time the instructor's efforts paid off, the shinobi chef was in the process of cleaning and skinning the rabbit. Hinata proved far harder to wake up the second time.

"I don't see the big deal," the boy continued to argue, "doesn't your academy or whatever teach basic foraging?"

"You don't know much about dealing with girls do you Arata?" Kurenai scoffed. It took a supreme act of will on Arata's part not to note that at least that wouldn't be a problem when dealing with her.

Instead he said, "Well I'm sorry. I've said I'm sorry. Food is food when you're hungry. How was I supposed to know?" The Jonin had to give him that. The boy probably hadn't ever had the luxury of separating an animal from a slab of meat in his mind that the average butcher afforded. A sinking feeling in her stomach told her she didn't want to think about how much the child had probably had to provide for himself in the first place.

"Fine," Kurenai finally conceded, "I guess it was an accident. It was just an inconvenient one." They were behind schedule now. It would be the evening when they reached their destination tomorrow. As the instructor was calculating possible shortcuts, she felt Hinata begin to stir in her arms.

Looking up, the girl saw her sensei giving her a sympathetic look, and she realized her position. Her face scarlet, she remembered what had happened.

"Are you okay to walk?" Kurenai asked as she put the kunoichi on her own feet.  
Blushing, Hinata answered, "Yes, I am sorry. I slowed us down." The Jonin reassured her and the group began to move again.

Arata handed her her pack, which he had been carrying, "Uh, sorry."

"No," the Hyuga insisted, "I-I shouldn't have fainted."

The redhead only shrugged, "Some people just don't like that kind of food. I'll make different in the future." Smiling at the offer, Hinata reached into her bag and withdrew a small candy. The honey chew was a small comfort she always kept with her to calm her nerves. Slipping it into her mouth, the girl savored the flavor and the fact that no one seemed angry with her. Picking a different pocket, Hinata opened an oat bar. She'd have to eat on the go. She tried very hard not to think about the rabbit as she did so.

***

"Okay, split up and set camp for the night." It was getting late, the sun becoming a deeper and deeper red as it approached the horizon. Kurenai wanted camp finished before it became too dark to travel.

"Shino can handle tents. Hinata, could you get out some rations?" the Jonin asked, "I think we'd all prefer them. Clear the site for a fire too please." The instructor didn't have to turn around to know that her newest pupil was bringing up the rear.

"Arata," came the clipped order, "you're on firewood." The redhead let his pack fall lazily from his shoulders and laid it by the others before disappearing into the trees. Kurenai watched him go. If his slowness hadn't been pushing her buttons, she might have commented on how good he was at already being invisible.

Pitching in herself, the Jonin rolled a nearby log over to the sight, a convenient seat for the group. After helping Shino with the tents and being sure dinner was ready to prepare, Kurenai realized Arata had yet to return.

"I swear something is eventually going to go smoothly on this mission," the woman grumbled before calling, "Shino, would you mind finding Arata? You placed a bug on him right?" The boy only nodded to show that he had indeed planted one of the females of his nest on the redhead. It was an unsettling but useful habit of the boy's that Kurenai had just come to accept. The Genin stood and made his way in the direction Arata had gone.

A bit of a ways in, Shino's hive vibrated in his chest as it felt a different presence in the same direction as his teammate. The bugs were being territorial as usual with this particular rival.

Stepping through a few bushes, Shino found Arata. Standing next to a full pile of firewood, the boy was busy at work tying together a bundle of smaller sticks and twigs, the greens of pine needles and leaves showing in the middle. The boy was wearing training goggles over his eyes and had a rag tied over the bottom half of his face. The drawstring of his hood was pulled tight and the front zipped up, hiding his forehead and the last of his exposed skin. More string held the cuffs of his jacket and pants tight, his hands covered in their usual wrappings.

"What are you doing?" Shino asked as Arata looked up.

"Getting desert," the boy answered, hooking his thumb at the nearby tree, a beehive buzzing in its branches.

Striking a match, Arata stuffed it in the center of the bundle. Slowly at first, but rapidly increasing, smoke began to billow from the roll of kindling. Hurrying over to the tree, keeping his head low, the child placed the smoking bundle directly beneath the hive. Backing up, Arata watched the cloud rise and engulf the nest, the buzzing inside becoming more sedate within a few moments.

"Smoke makes them sleepy, like a drug. They don't attack," the redhead announced over his shoulder.

"I didn't know that," commented Shino, sounding interested for the first time in the mission. Pulling a pocketknife and a small jar the size of his fist from his jacket, Arata approached the tree and began to scale it, walking up the trunk. Hanging upside down from the same branch as the beehive, Arata crouched and sank his knife into the walls of the nest. Some of the bees began to circle him, but for the most part, they seemed to fly in lazy, lilting patterns. Twisting the blade, the hive was opened, and gleaming honeycombs could be seen inside. Reaching inside and past the teaming pile of insects, Arata pulled one of the slabs of wax free and held it over the jar, amber honey dripping into the container. After a few more pieces, the jar was mostly full, and the boy was finished. Closing the jar, the Genin pocketed the golden treasure and released his hold as the bundle beneath him began to burn out.

Shino was about to comment on the events when Arata landed. Badly. Collapsing to one side, the boy spat an oath and grabbed at his right foot, the one he'd landed on. Hurrying over, Shino hooked his arms under the other boy's and dragged him from the hive as it slowly grew louder and angrier with the lack of smoke.

"What happened?" Shino asked.

"I screwed up the landing," Arata growled as he tried to pull himself to his feet and failed, nearly falling again before his teammate caught him and supported his weight.

"We should get back to camp so Kurenai-sensei can get a look at that," Shino suggested, awkwardly bending to take an armful of firewood while trying to keep his companion upright.

"Great," Arata sighed as he began to hop along, "something else I screwed up."

***

"That's it," Kurenai announced as Shino eased Arata down next to the campfire Hinata was building with the newfound wood, "I'm the only one allowed in the woods from now on." The woman had been surprised moments earlier to see Shino coming out of the trees, Arata hobbling alongside him. After checking to be sure the boy was fine, the kunoichi had decided she shouldn't be surprised.

"How did this happen?" the Jonin asked.

"I was climbing a tree and didn't land properly," the redhead answered, reaching over to the stack of ration cans piled against the log, looking them over as if he were discussing the weather, "I'll be fine." _A tree_ was all Kurenai could think. _A shinobi had fallen from a tree. Perfect._

"I'll be the judge of that," Kurenai stated, bending down.

Arata immediately pulled his foot back, "Relax, just give me a night's rest."

"It could be a sprain or worse," corrected the instructor, beginning to lose patients with the boy, "Now give me your foot."

"It'll be okay, just let it be," the boy argued.

"Damn it Arata!" Kurenai snapped, finally loosing her temper, "Start obeying orders! I'm your commander, not your damned mother!" The colossal stupidity of the statement only hit the Jonin as the words left her mouth. The horrified look on Hinata's face and even a raised eyebrow from Shino served to confirm that she had indeed just reminded an orphan that he was just that. Arata glared hard at the woman but extended his leg. Her face red and unable to look the boy in the eye, the kunoichi just pulled the boot free and unbound the wrappings around his foot.

Finally seeing the problem, Kurenai pushed her mortified thoughts aside and asked, "Arata, how were you traveling like this?" The soles of the boy's foot were a swollen, deep purple mess of bruises.

"It's not as bad as it looks," the redhead offered, "I can walk fine. The landing just got to me. I'll heal up soon."

Eyes still glued to the foot, Kurenai tilted it and watched the boy wince, "How did this happen?"

"New training," he child answered, "I'm trying to figure out a technique. It's hard on the feet."

"You mean both of your feet are like this?" Kurenai asked, looking up. The child nodded.

"What is Kakashi thinking?" the kunoichi asked, "This isn't healthy."

Arata shifted awkwardly, "He sort of doesn't know. This is extracurricular."

"So you've been doing this on your own," the Jonin realized, "Why?"

The Genin's face became a bit red as he found the fire incredibly interesting all of a sudden, "I'm, uh, falling behind. The others keep getting better, and so do I… just not as fast. I don't want to slow them down."

Fiddling with the food containers again, the boy continued, "Speed I can do just about better than anyone. I figured I should focus there. I thought if I trained myself to use chakra for more traction and then push off with some extra like when you use too much while climbing, I could go a lot faster. It works, sort of. Look, I'm just not going to hold my team back."

"And you decided to come on this mission injured?" Kurenai asked disapprovingly, her instincts immediately demanding she scold the boy for pushing himself too hard.

Arata shook his head, "Stuff like this always clears up in a day or two with me."

Looking down at his foot, the boy added, "Or it usually does. I can't figure out the problem this time."

Kurenai put together a few pieces in her mind and nodded before turning to the girl next to her, "Hinata, would you mind giving his foot a once over. Use the Byakugan." The Genin crouched next to Arata and began to run through a few hand signs, keeping her eyes shut. As she neared the finish, veins began to rise at the edges of her eyes. Opening her eyes and whispering the jutsu's name, her irises shone in the fading sun as they stared intently at the boy's foot, resembling the play of light across a pearl. A look of concern replaced the one of concentration on her face, and her teacher grimaced.

Arata didn't like where this was going, "What is it? What is she doing?"

"Her abilities allow her to see chakra paths in the body," Kurenai told him, "And yours seem to be amiss."

Nodding, Hinata released the jutsu, her eyes returning to normal, "The paths in his foot are overworked and have become damaged, as has some of the tissue."

"The bruises," the Jonin agreed, "You aren't healing normally because any wound that harms the chakra network slows the local flesh's recovery, like damaging a blood vessel. It will heal, but the travel has exacerbated the problem."

Arata's head hung a bit at the words, "I- sorry, if I'd known, I wouldn't have come along."

"You didn't know," Kurenai told him, not feeling he deserved quite that amount of shame, "You thought your body could handle it and normally it probably would, but this is a bit above your knowledge." The instructor was actually impressed. Without formal teaching, the boy had grasped advanced ideas about chakra manipulation, putting them together into a method actually used by a number of more advanced shinobi. Had he not been too stubborn, or perhaps embarrassed, to approach Kakashi, he might have gone about this the right way. Unfortunately, without the proper academic knowledge, he didn't understand the subtleties of the chakra network and how easily it could be damaged with improper control. The finesse required for such a technique was something most Genin lacked. The teacher in her was already considering options to properly train the child when they got back. But that was a matter for later.

"Luckily for you, you're traveling with a Hyuga," Kurenai noted, causing Arata to look up again, "Hinata? Fetch the medicinal cream you keep in your pack." The girl dug through a side pouch before pulling out the small jar.

"What is it?" Arata asked.

Hinata answered this time, "My family's bloodline focuses on precise chakra control and release. This can lead to injuries of the chakra network when still learning. We developed medicines that hasten the healing process of that part of the body, just apply to the affected area and allow the injury to breathe."

"Hinata made this batch herself. She's quite talented in the matter," Kurenai added with a bit of pride as her pupil's face lit up. Taking the offered jar, Arata began to rub the cream into the sole of his foot before unwrapping and doing the same to the other. The pain seemed to lessen immediately.

"Stay off your feet for the rest of the night, and we'll see in the morning," the instructor said, "Regardless, we can't turn back now, so no point in worrying." Arata gave a sheepish nod and began to pry open the ration cans, already intent on fixing dinner.

An hour and a full stomach later, Kurenai had to admit that Kakashi had indeed been hiding a prodigy under his hat. She wondered how long it would take news of his skills to make the rounds of the other instructors. At least she had him until the end of the mission. She allowed herself a small grin at the idea that the arrogant Jonin would be going without for a while.

Sitting next to her teammates, Hinata basked in the warm glow of the fire and the feeling of contentment in her stomach. It was a rare feeling indeed when on a mission. Thinking about the day, a thought hit her mind.

Leaning over to the now beloved cook, she asked, "Arata, why were you in the tree where you hurt yourself in the first place?"

The boy's eyes widened at the question, "That's right." Fumbling with his jacket, the redhead produced the amber jar of honey.

Grinning, his face growing red, Arata explained, "I, well, I wanted to make it up to you for earlier, and I saw you eating the candy, so I figured something fresh might be nice. There should be enough for everyone."

Opening the jar, the boy offered Hinata a piece of bread. The girl was a bit shocked at the gesture. It wasn't something she would have really expected from anyone. Smiling, she dipped the bread in the sticky confection and popped it into her mouth. It was delicious. Passing the jar around, the Genin enjoyed their treat, Kurenai waving off the offer. It was best to let it be something between them, she decided, despite how wonderful it looked.

"We're getting up early tomorrow," the Jonin eventually announced, "Get some sleep. Hinata, why don't you take first watch."

***

There had always been something charming about nights in the wilderness to Hinata. With the small campfire behind her, staving off the slight chill the night brought with it, the girl could focus her mind on enjoying the beauty of it from her perch in a nearby tree. Like any child, she had originally been intimidated by the unknown of the darkened forest, but now had come to enjoy it. Out here, with her whole world limited to the ring of light that was her campsite and the stars above, she could stop hearing her father's voice in her mind, stop feeling like she didn't belong in her own home, and just pretend it all couldn't get her out there. It was somehow liberating to know that she could take herself somewhere none of those thoughts could touch her, even if she was only fooling herself.

She wondered about Arata, looking down to watch him sleep, his arms crossed and leaning against the log in front of the fire. The Hyuga couldn't begin to think about how hard his life must have been, but still she envied him in some ways. The freedom he had was something alien to her. He spoke and acted seemingly purely as he pleased. She'd never heard anyone speak to Kurenai-sensei as he had before, and admittedly the Genin had never seen her instructor quite so mad before. It was almost funny to her, seeing the redhead fluster people so easily. Hinata wished she had that kind of gall sometimes. Turning back to watch the quiet woods, she thought that perhaps, with it, she could join Naruto on one of his prank excursions. After a time, the Hyuga giggled at the thought, her cheeks flushing at the idea of spending a day of troublemaking with the blonde.

The girl nearly jumped out of the tree when she heard a voice ask, "What's so funny?" Turning to the sound, Hinata saw her teacher standing over her, her body horizontal as she stood on the tree trunk next to the Genin.

"It's nothing sensei," the Hyuga replied, trying to slow her heart.

Smiling, the woman stepped onto the same branch as her student, scooting next to her as she sat down, "My watch is beginning in a while. You may get some sleep if you want."

Hinata shook her head, "I'll finish."

Kurenai smiled at the small act of dedication, "Fine then, I'll join you. I haven't been getting much sleep anyway." The two were silent as they watched over the campsite, the fire crackling in the background and the many insects of the night chirping around them.

Eventually Kurenai asked, "Think I can salvage this?"

"What sensei?" Hinata asked.

"The mission," the instructor answered, "I'm not doing a very good job am I?"

"I-I think we've been doing fine," the girl reassured her, "Why would you think you've done something wrong?"

The older kunoichi sighed and said, "I manage to take a student who needs help, who needs guidance, and I alienate him. Do you think he hates me?" Kurenai stared into the night, as if answering her own question. Hinata couldn't believe what she was hearing. Who in the world could hate her sensei?

"Of course not!" Hinata insisted, her high voice louder than she intended. The Jonin gave a weak smile as the girl covered her mouth and checked to be sure the others were still sleeping.

"Thank you Hinata," Kurenai replied, "But I feel like I've done nothing but put my foot in my mouth. I berate him for the incident with the rabbit when he was just trying to cook a good lunch for us. I criticize him for being slow and he turns out to be injured. I shout at him instead of ever asking why he was acting the way he was."

Combing her fingers through her hair, the woman let out a long breath, "I just wanted this mission to go smoothly, to show I can do this. Some teacher I turned out to be." Hinata was shocked. Kurenai-sensei never spoke like this. The Hyuga hadn't ever known her to be so down on herself. Things certainly weren't as bad as her teacher seemed to think they were, at least not from the Genin's perspective.

Looking down at the sleeping form of the redhead in question, Hinata said, "I…I think Arata is just a difficult person to understand." Kurenai raised an eyebrow at the words, broken from her self-pity.

"He didn't tell you about his feet, or try to explain himself earlier," the Genin continued, "If you'd known, I don't think you would have acted like that sensei. I don't think he's used to telling people when he has a problem."

"Or telling us anything perhaps," Kurenai added as an afterthought. Hinata was right, as she often was when given a chance to quietly examine a person. The woman had noticed as the girl grew that she had a talent for reading people, a common Hyuga trait, but one she excelled in beyond many in her family. Understanding subtle facial expressions or body language came easy to the child, provided it wasn't a personal matter. Her father had noticed this, and encouraged her, even inviting her to meetings with those outside of the clan. It had been with the intention of knowing the motives of those the family did business with, but the girl was still thrilled to be noticed. It was the closest the Jonin had ever seen Hinata come to being comfortable around her family, but as she showed no improvement in her combat skills, her father's interest had waned and he had returned to having no faith in the girl.

"Well Hinata," the Jonin said, "What's your take?"

The girl's face lit up at being on the spot, but she said, "He seems… to be frustrated. He said he was falling behind, but he sought to solve the problem himself. It bothers him, needing help. Arata might think it means there's something wrong with him."

Kurenai nodded, "Explains why he's been as combative as me."

Hinata shook her head, "That's part, but… I think he's almost… scared."

"Scared?" Kurenai echoed.

"It's subtle," Hinata said, her eyes squinting as she thought, "but he seems nervous about something. The way he's sleeping right now, not in a tent, but near the fire, his arms crossed, not quite relaxed. It's like he's expecting to be attacked in his sleep, or at least preparing for it. Earlier, with his foot, he didn't want to tell you about it, but he also didn't want you touching it. I don't think he likes physical contact."

Breaking her gaze, Hinata looked up, concern crossing her features, "Why is that sensei? Why would he be like that?" Kurenai bit her bottom lip as she thought. Everything the girl had said was true. What it could mean was a myriad of other things, none of them comfortable to think about.

"It could be a lot of reasons," the kunoichi eventually replied, "but I don't think they're our business. Get some sleep, we're going to try moving faster tomorrow." As Hinata descended her perch, Kurenai decided that she had lied. She was going to make it her business.

***

The Genjutsu Mistress allowed herself a smile. The group had awoken in the morning to a fresh start and healthy feet. Arata's soles had taken an amazing turn over the night, the bruises having nearly disappeared. Though still sore, the group had been able to keep as fast a pace as Kurenai had allowed, still careful of the boy's health. The Genin had been talking more too. Shino had not let Arata rest until he had explained the effects of smoke on different bees and wasps and the best materials to burn. The redhead was only too happy to talk about incendiary-related information, something the Jonin had even been willing to let go in the spirit of the moment. Hinata had been hesitant at first as Arata had asked more about her family traits, but had relaxed as the boy only acted impressed at the details, the girl for once being the center of praise in the group. The instructor was even pleased to see the boy didn't seem to be uncomfortable around herself anymore either.

Coming over the last of the hills, their destination finally came into view. Despite the delays, the squad had arrived on time. The afternoon sun overhead, they approached the walled village. Originally an outpost during a previous war, the borders of the Land of Fire had long ago outgrown the now idle fort, turning its walls into protection against little more than bandits for the quiet town now housed within.

Halting at the small gate, Kurenai approached a nearby guard and announced their arrival. Hurrying off, the man returned minutes later with another, older individual. Looking exhausted, the bags under his eyes sagging and dark, the gentleman walked toward the group.

Giving a small salute, the Kunoichi announced, "Sir, Team 8 reporting to aid in the investigation." The man looked Kurenai up and down before doing the same to the Genin. A shadow of a grimaced crinkled his lips before it was gone.

"I was told the main village was sending shinobi," the stranger said, "I didn't expect them to send children."

The Jonin let the insult roll off of her and replied, "I can assure you, my team is more than skilled enough to handle whatever is thrown at them."

"Good," the man sneered as her turned to walk away, "Because your case just got upgraded; from burglary to homicide."

* * *

Another chapter comes and goes, finals and projects with lazy partners making it a miracle. Bum Bum Bum as to the ending. Kurenai may seem a little ooc at times, but I wanted to show her as being new to being a jonin and an instructor (something the show points out), and is a bit self concious about it. Anywho, read and review please, and thanks again for reading at all!

(1)* Yeah, that's probably a given.

(2)* Hmmm.

Also, holy crap, over 100,000 words... wow.


End file.
